For all their similarities, twin sisters Kathryn and Erica Fluehr are two very different personalities that have to be handled in their own way.
“Kathryn (Photo by Andrew Charles) tends to internalize her feelings more,” says Cassie Barone, the girls' cross country coach at Community School of Naples. “She doesn't wear her heart on her sleeve; but in big moments, you can witness her exemplary passion.”
“Erika is definitely more vocal about her thoughts and feelings than Kathryn, but she too has a great passion that contributes to the success she has had so far.”
The twin sisters are in 11th grade at Naples in Florida and have had tremendous success this year. October has seen them dominating. On October 17th they raced in the Little Everglades Pre-State Classic and finished in the top spots: Kathryn clocked in at 17:16.23 and Erica just a few paces behind with 17:44.11. On October 3rd the Florida Runner’s Invitational 10, they took the top spots as well, with Kathryn finishing in 17:00.73 and Erica finishing close again at 17:24.36. They ran the second and third fastest times in history on the Chain of Lakes Course.
Erica (Photo by Andrew Charles) had a fantastic start of the year, placing first at the FHSAA 1A Region 3 in April and District 12, then in May placed second at the Venice Invitational with a time of 17:26.
Kathryn placed first at both Region 3 and District 12, as well as the Venice Invitational.
In 2008, Kathryn was voted the Naples Daily News Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year. She might be the best in the state, but so far hasn’t registered on the National scene.
Though Kathryn has come out on top most often, in Barone’s observation the competition between the sisters is both healthy and helpful.
“They tend to be hardest on each other, which I believe is true of all siblings,” she says.
In her time with Kathryn and Erica, Barone has seen significant improvements in their attitudes and that goes right down to their attire. She humorously recalls her first time meeting the girls and how far they’ve come since that day.
“As 8th graders Kathryn (Photo by flrunners.com) and Erika showed up to their first Cross Country practice in basketball clothes! I don't think they really realized they were runners until track that year.”
The goals are specific with Kathryn and Erica, as well as the rest of the team, a team that won the Girls Cross Country 2A State Championship in 2007 and 2008. While they have a great base to work from, Barone explains that it creates a challenge for them.
“The shorter, faster stuff is what’s really challenging us,” she says.
As they work towards those improvements, the Fluehr sister’s leadership is defined more by action.
“Kathryn and Erika lead by example. They are more vocal by their actions than most could ever be with words,” Barone says.
While the athletic ability is there, the mental part is something Barone insists they have in spades to get through any challenges ahead in their development.
“Their mental toughness has improved dramatically in the last few years.”
For a school known for its dedication to athletic excellence and a girls' cross country team that has had such success, Barone and her team have a very clear-cut outline to continue that success.
“We want to be able to work with the girl next to us for the first mile or so (whether it is your sister/twin or not) and then flip on the light switch (Photo by Rick Andrews). The flip of the switch signals us to compete, and start dropping people. 5000 meters can be a long race (even if you are only running 17 minutes), so we try to keep our minds fresh by working together for the first part of every race.”
Dropping people, keeping it fresh, but more than anything Barone also keeps it very simple for the girls.
“We are trying to look at running a smart 5k,” Barone says. “Like a light switch you can turn on.”
That switch is easy to hit for Erika and Kathryn Fluehr, but Barone insists they’ve got their heads on straight to keep their focus as well.
“They have the confidence to compete with anyone on the line, yet they are humble enough to know that we have a lot more work ahead of us.”
For all their similarities, twin sisters Kathryn and Erica Fluehr are two very different personalities that have to be handled in their own way.