Courtesy of Sean D. Elliot
Camel of the Edition is a series that seeks to highlight extraordinary Connecticut College athletes who have stood out from the herd due to their recent performances or as a leader on campus or on their team.
April Schilling ‘27 has been leading the Women’s Cross Country team so far throughout the season and was rewarded for her hard work with a very impressive 4th place individual finish at Pre-Nationals at Carleton College a few weeks ago. At Pre-Nationals, her finish led the Camels to a strong 14th-place team finish. This performance was a major breakout for Schilling as the Camels head into the postseason with her leading the way.
Recently, The College Voice caught up with Schilling to talk about her performance in Minnesota, her preparation for the big race, and the future for her and her team as they enter what seems poised to be a fruitful postseason.
What was going through your mind in the later stages of the race leading up to the finish?
I honestly didn’t realize where I was until I was in the last kilometer of the course and going over the final rolling hills that I only saw four people ahead of me. At that moment, I was just telling myself to run strong and run confident[ly] to the finish. I had never been in a position like that before, being at the front of an incredibly talented field of runners, so when I realized where I was, some doubt tried to creep in. The last kilometer of the course was also the most difficult, in my opinion, so I was really just trying to remind myself that I was capable and that I belonged where I was. I had been building throughout the race, keeping my eyes on the woman or the group ahead of me as our coach, Ned Bishop, wanted us to negative split. I reminded myself that the women in front of me wouldn’t come to me but that I had to go to them, which helped me lean into the intensity of the moment. I was really just trying to hold my place to the finish. As we approached the long stretch, all that I was thinking of was just finishing as strong and as hard as I could. I kept my eyes set on the Johns Hopkins runner in front of me and I realized I could catch her, using her to pull me to the finish. Again, I was processing that I was at the top of this race. Knowing I was in the top five but could be in fourth pushed me to dig even deeper and pass her coming into the shoot.
What do you think was the main reason for this kind of major breakthrough for you and what has your training looked like since the end of your Track and Field season last May?
I think it’s been a build up for me in mind and body since well before May. Every year at Conn I have identified goals and worked with my coaches to progress towards those. I have known for years it’s about both mind and body preparedness. It started to align for me with my best outdoor track season last spring, and then the best summer training I have ever had. As an underclassman, I was uneasy about high mileage as I had dealt with shin splints and then some tendinitis the summer going into my sophomore year. Building up to higher mileage and being consistent was always a goal of mine, but I didn’t know how realistic it would be. Last year, as a junior, in the summer and the fall, I was able to build my mileage up higher than it had ever been but I don’t feel that I was truly consistent until junior year spring during track season. This summer training block, I was able to hit four above-fifty-mile weeks, which I could never have imagined doing. Doing higher mileage consistently left me feeling stronger than I had ever felt. One of my goals this summer was also to not just feel strong, but actually be stronger. I created a really specific, detailed lifting routine. For the month of June, I was living in Ghana, which gave me the opportunity to be creative in my running and lifting. Without access to a gym, I did all body weight strength exercises, as well as lots of yoga and pilates. The combination of these three things allowed me to build a great foundation for when I returned to the U.S. and would be able to start adding weight. It also caused me to focus on the small things. I started to look more into how all aspects of my body and my mind need to work together for me to be my strongest self. When I got back home, I had done a lot of research from qualified female runners, coaches, and programs, so I built a great lifting routine which I really disciplined myself to follow. I had always gotten my lifts in previous summers, but I never prioritized them or had fun with them. Creating a new, detailed plan for myself motivated me and I was really able to enjoy lifting, which I never have in the past. Focusing more on the things that help me to succeed beyond just simply going for a run is the biggest contributor to my “breakthrough.” As I lift, I focus on each rep and each set; as I run, I focus on my form, my stride, my breathing. But more importantly, I focus on the connection between my mind and my body. I focus more on the little things: rolling, stretching, sleeping, eating, hydrating, meditating, and seeing how those all add up to make a big difference. I think I’ve also shifted my mindset a lot. As I am feeling stronger than I ever have, I am feeling more confident than I ever have. I know how I feel when I am ignoring the cues my mind or body is telling me, and leaning into that personal attention and focus has helped me to feel so confident in myself and my training.
Over the past three years, you’ve had lots of great teammates that have represented a very successful era for the Women Cross Country Program. What, if anything, do you think you’ve learned from them that you feel has helped you reach such heights so far this season?
That cross country is a team sport and nothing can be accomplished alone. I can’t reach my goals or reach new heights without the people surrounding me, both literally and figuratively. The sport is so special in that we are all pushing ourselves to an incredibly challenging new limit every day we show up to practice. I feel the power and strength of all the women who were on this team before me, and I try and hope to leave behind strength for the women to come after me to follow. All of the people I have had the privilege of being on this team at the same time with have left a huge impact on who I am as a person but also as an athlete. The class directly above mine was a huge group of talented runners but also dedicated leaders. They’ve taught me so many lessons but I feel that I always come back to remembering my why for this sport:
That I get to see daily what I am capable of with the support and love from the incredible people within it. They showed me how to compete at a high level but to always have fun and enjoy every moment of the process. The support and care for each other that our team carries is indescribable. I am so lucky that I have had the opportunity to be in the top 10 of the Conn Cross Country team for the past three years and be able to go to incredibly competitive meets and have such special experiences with the most caring of women who want me to succeed as much as themselves. I carry this perspective with me always, looking for ways I can uplift my teammates because celebrating their successes uplifts me. Knowing that I have the opportunity to leave an impact on others as my past teammates have left one me has without a doubt helped me become the athlete I am today.
What goals do you have for yourself and your team going forward this season as we approach the postseason in your final cross country season at Conn?
Approaching the postseason, I am so incredibly excited to continue to see what our team is capable of. Specifically within the top 10, we have a chance to make it to Nationals as a team for the fourth year in a row. Kiera Tallas ‘27, Abby Williams ‘27, Mary Lonergan ‘27, and I were all a part of the group of women who got to go to the D3 Cross Country National Championship in 2023, where we qualified for the first time as a team ever. Being able to reach that accomplishment in our senior year would be one of the greatest things to happen. We lost a lot of talented seniors last year, but we also have an incredible group of underclassmen who have been displaying their talent throughout the season. Seeing and hearing their discussion of this goal and wanting it just as bad[ly] as we as seniors do is very special. In the weeks leading up to that meet, our goal together is to close the gap between our top three and the rest of the group, which, week after week, those women have displayed they are more than capable of [doing]. We mostly just want to work together, stay healthy, and feel strong, not just as individuals but as a collective ten.
Individually, I hope to continue building on what I have accomplished so far. I hope to place in the top 14 at our NESCAC Championship meet in two weeks, as well as earn all-region at the 2026 Division III Cross Country Mid-East Regionals meet in the middle of November. As already said, the ultimate goal is to be a team of ten at the 2026 Division III Cross-Country National Championships. If not there as a team, I hope to have the opportunity to run in that race as an individual, preferably with my two workout partners, Kiera Tallas and Abigail Williams, by my side. Additionally, I want to continue to feel strong and confident and continue to see what I am capable of. I also hope to continue to lead the team as a captain, contribute to a positive, fun, caring culture, and enjoy the rest of my senior year with the best people by my side!
