Tenth-graders aren’t supposed to win major cross-country races.
But that’s exactly what Mishawaka High’s Anna Rohrer did in the fall of 2012 when she came from behind to capture the Foot Locker Finals down in San Diego. Just a few weeks after winning the Indiana state crown, Rohrer was the best from coast to coast.
“I believe going into it I had the fastest time but I was a new person,” she recalled. “I wasn’t really the favorite. I just raced there like I did at the state meet. I just gave it everything I had. I felt on top of the world.”
Rohrer’s sophomore year was certainly one to remember. Even though she was sidelined with Achilles tendinitis for a month in the spring, she went on to win her state’s outdoor 3,200-meter title, running her current best of 10 minutes, 20.68 seconds. The stars seemed aligned for a strong cross-country season this year and the chance for a repeat of her Foot Locker performance.
She never got the chance.
A similar foot injury that shortened her freshman season came back to haunt her this fall. After just a short time on the trails, and two weeks after running the fastest 5K cross-country race in state history, a 16:52.25 effort at the Viking Stampede on Aug. 24, it was revealed through MRI testing that Rohrer had a navicular fracture (or deep crack) in her left foot.
“I didn’t really have a problem until a week or two when it started hurting,” she said. “I was pretty crushed because I had high hopes for Foot Locker and Nike (Nationals).”
The good news for the Mishawaka standout is the injury now seems to be behind her. After spending most of the cross-country as a spectator, Rohrer appears to have her groove back.
On May 27, the determined runner had her ‘A’ game at the IHSAA Track & Field Regional 7 meet where she broke five minutes in the 1,600m for the first time in her career with a winning 4:55.66 effort. For good measure, Rohrer also claimed the 3,200m title at 10:41.98.
“I was so excited!” she said, about her 1,600m time. “I have been trying to break five minutes for about a year now and never really have had the opportunity. I am so glad that I was finally able to do it.”
This past fall, Rohrer spent most of the season on crutches and even a wheelchair after undergoing surgery for her foot. With running off limits, she maintained her fitness level with cross-training, beginning with aqua jogging and swimming. Later, she also incorporated biking and the elliptical machine into her training.
The 17-year-old Rohrer didn’t run until New Year’s Eve while vacationing with her family in Florida. It was a half-mile jog on Siesta Beach.
After a few-month hiatus, the brief run was long overdue.
“It was fantastic,” she said. “I couldn’t stop smiling. It felt kind of awkward because I had run in so long, but it felt great.”
Rohrer’s return to her current fitness level was a slow, gradual one. It was only about a month ago when she started to make her biggest strides in the recovery process.
“I was still able to run a good amount,” she said. “I was able to supplement with cross-training, too.”
After competing in a few relay events, Rohrer first individual race since early fall came on April 24 when she placed first in the 3,200m at the Lady Kinsman Invitational. She beat her closest pursuer by more than 30 seconds with a credible 10:40.44 clocking.
“I was just looking to get under 11 minutes,” she said. “I was running in training shoes, no spikes. I was running just to see how I would feel and to get back into it. It felt good.”
Feeling healthy and confident, Rohrer has a few races on her radar with the season winding down. She’s focusing on an assault of the 3,200m record this Saturday at the state championship, a time she was less than a second from breaking last year at the outdoor meet. She also plans to compete at the New Balance Nationals (June 13-15) in North Carolina and possibly the USATF Junior Championships (July 5-6) in Oregon.
Rohrer’s aiming for a time in the low 16-minute range or under in the NBN meet. In other words, she looking for a possible victory.
“In cross country, I ran 16:52. I think on a track with other girls, I could go much faster,” she said. “I’d like to (win). It will be great running with the best girls in the country.”
Familiar territory for the gifted teenager from Indiana.
More links:
- Anna Rohrer's Stats
- Story on her 2012 Foot Locker Nationals win
- Indiana Girls State Meet Page on MileSplit
- Indiana Girls State Meet - Heat Sheets
