Chelsey Sveinsson

17 / DISTANCE RUNNER / Dallas

Achievements: Life has been a blur since Chelsey competed in her first meet for the Greenhill School, in seventh grade. In 2008, as a freshman, she won the 800 meters and the mile at the Nike Indoor Nationals. A year later, at the Nike Outdoor Nationals, she placed first in the mile and two mile, the former in the year's fastest high school time (4:40.24). She is a three-time 1,600-meter champion at the prestigious Texas Relays in Austin and in April defended her 3,200-meter title there, setting a new state record (10:07.15) en route to earning Most Outstanding Female Athlete of the meet.

First Steps: Gillian Glengarry, Chelsey's mother and Greenhill's fitness-center director, knew she had a future athlete after the two watched Demi Moore's one-handed push-ups in G.I. Jane when Chelsey was seven: "She got on the floor and did it without me even showing her how."

Evokes: Jordan Hasay, the Oregon sophomore whose success—five national junior championships and a Gatorade Girls National Cross Country Runner of the Year award—Chelsey is striving to match.

Coach's Comment: "She's raw talent; there are other girls who have run a little bit faster, but not on that little work," says Greenhill cross-country coach Mike Krueger, referring to Chelsey's limited training, the result of a stress fracture in her hip. She runs about 35 miles a week but complements that with strength training and pool workouts.

What' s Next: After resting since April, Chelsey resumed running in July and will defend her distance titles at the Texas Relays next April. Then she should have her choice of interested colleges. And after that? "My goal," she says, "is to be as healthy and happy as possible."

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