Earning All-State honors in two different track and field events is impressive. Earning All-State honors in two different events and two different sports is even more impressive, and that is why the Osceola News Gazette chose Celebration junior Catalina Edwards as its 2021-22 Female High School Athlete of the Year.
Edwards capped a sensational year at the 2022 Class 4A state track championships when she earned podium spots in both the 800 and 1600 meter runs. Edwards finished the 800 meters in 2:16.68, missing third place by just over half a second. The Storm junior also finished fifth in the 1600-meter run with a time of 5:05.04. She was the only athlete from Osceola County to earn all-state honors in two individual track and field events.
“It’s an honor to just be considered for Athlete of the Year,” Edwards said. “I really felt I worked hard the last couple of years and to see that work pay off means a lot to me. I have one more year of high school left and look I am looking forward to the opportunity to try to improve on my finishes in both track and cross country.”
In the Class 4A state cross country meet in Tallahassee, she finished eighth in the state with a time of 19:14.5. It was the fourth fastest time for non-seniors. In addition to high state finishes, her resume was padded with multiple Orange Belt Conference, District titles and high regional placements. She was the OBC Cross Country, 800 and 1600 meter champion and also took district titles in the same events.
‘We have a lot of really good athletes in the county, but I certainly believe Catalina was a deserving choice for this honor,” Celebration track coach Cliff Branch said. “She is really the type of individual any coach would want on their team. She is a tireless worker but is also a team leader. Everything she does, she strives for excellence. Whether it is in cross country, track and field or in the classroom, she is always looking for ways to improve.”
Branch said the best is yet to come for Edwards.
“When she first came out she thought she wanted to be a sprinter but she found her niche in middle and distance running,” Branch said. “Each year she has improved by leaps and bounds from the previous year and there’s no reason to believe that trend is not going to continue. Catalina is a great competitor and the sky is the limit for her senior year.”
Edwards’ achievements are more impressive considering she did not participate in the sport until she arrived at Celebration with her family from Chile in 2019. She tried out for the sport for something “to do” and to ‘fit in” with her new classmates, but it did not take long for her to find out she had a special talent.
“I started out thinking I wanted to be a sprinter but I had limited success my freshman year. My coaches worked with me and it was during my sophomore year that I transitioned into the longer distances.”
She says it’s the team aspect of what is generally considered an individual sport that she enjoys most about running.
“Running is an individual sport, but the thing I love most about is training and running with my teammates,” Edwards said.
It’s that approach that Branch says makes her a great teammate. “When she finishes her races on the track, she’s the first one on the sidelines yelling encouragement to her teammates,” he said. “I know her cross country coaches will tell you the same thing.”
As far as the future, Edwards looks forward to running track and cross country at the next level and also wants to major in kinesiology and physical therapy so she can stay involved in the sport as a career.
Several other county athletes were considered for the award. Gateway’s Paige Alise, the 2021-22 Orange Belt Conference Athlete of the Year, excelled in track, basketball and volleyball for the Panthers. St. Cloud’s Morgan Beaulieu, who finished tied for fourth in the Class 3A State Golf Championship and was an All-OBC selection in flag football, was considered for the award; as was Adriana Rosa, who won double gold in both the traditional and clean and jerk events at the state weightlifting championships.
