LIPARI IS READY TO CAP OFF COMEBACK WITH A WIN
By Chris Lotsbom
(c) 2010 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with permission

It's hard to have a better high school athlete with a better career than Emily Lipari of Roslyn, N.Y.  The 17 year-old senior will be running her final high school indoor track race this weekend at the Nike Indoor Nationals in Boston, toeing the line for the girl's mile on Sunday.  She has an indoor personal best of 4:46.77.

"Going into the race this weekend, I know it's going to be really tough, but I am excited for it," said Lipari who sent Race Results Weekly a message through Facebook.

Last week at the New York State High School Indoor Championships, Lipari set a personal best in the 1500m, where she ran 4:28.92, looking smooth and confident all the way. 

"I was very excited running 4:28," the Villanova-bound senior wrote, who took an unusual approach to the race.  "Usually I am one to kick on the last lap.  But going into this race my goal was to run under 4:30, so I knew I had to keep a consistent pace, and I tried going out faster then usual."
 
Lipari's senior year, though, hasn't been as easy as her last races might indicate.  At the beginning of the fall cross country season, Lipari described herself as "being in the best shape I have ever been in."  That's when a stress fracture in her fibula hampered her training for two weeks, which caused her to miss the New York State and Federation meets. 

"During those two weeks I probably cried every day, because I felt like all my hard work was just washing away," she explained.  "I was just frustrated because as each week went by, I saw these girls running great times and I just wanted to know where I would be if I was in the race."

After beginning to run the week before the Foot Locker Northeast Regionals, Lipari knew her chances at returning to San Diego's Balboa Park and the Foot Locker National Championships were slim.

"In my mind I knew I wasn't ready to qualify," wrote Lipari who finished 51st.  "But when I was running that race [regionals], I knew I had to finish it for myself, to make the statement that I'm on my way back."

Lipari came back stronger than ever as the indoor season began. After a rough mile at the Millrose Games on January 29, where she finished a disappointing fifth in 4:58.14, she was determined to rebound the next week at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games.  Returning to the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center for the first time since she claimed her Nike Indoor National Mile title there in 2009, Lipari stamped her comeback complete, unleashing a huge kick over the final 200 meters and winning the race in a personal best of 4:46.77. 

"I don't know why but things have gone well for me on that track," she says.  "The two times I have broken 4:50 [in the mile] have been on that track, it is just a luck thing."

With one race left in her high school indoor career, Lipari is looking to finish off her prep career on top of the podium.  But, she knows Sunday's race will be very tough. 

"I have raced a lot of these girls before and all of them are excellent runners... I'm just honored to be able to be a part of it."

Lipari is already looking ahead to collegiate competition next fall at Villanova.  "It's hard to put into words why I picked the school, but while I was on my visit I could tell that this was where I wanted to be."  She continued: "I know college is going to be a whole different world and I'm prepared for it."

Running for the defending NCAA Cross Country Champions, Lipari is excited to join Head Coach Gina Procaccio's team.  But, she will have to give up one of her passions to do so: playing soccer. 

"I love soccer and I always have and always will," she said.  "I realized that I needed to pick one sport and focus on that and see how far I could take it."

But for now, Lipari's focus is on staying healthy and running her best in meets like the Nike Indoor Nationals.  Aiming to capture her second indoor mile title in a row, Lipari is ready to take the track and run full speed ahead. 

"I'm just happy that I am back and have all my strength and I'm hoping to run some personal bests this year."