As Brianna Potaki’s final Spring Track Season comes to an end, her efforts, achievements, and her many successful seasons will always be remembered. Brianna is the current top distance runner at Ramapo, specializing in the 3200-meter race in both Winter Track and Spring Track with an outstanding Personal Best of 11:22. Brianna won the 3200 in the girls Winter Track N1G3 Sectional meet this winter track season. Her hard work doesn’t end there, as she was also an incredible cross country runner and was named the North 1 Group 3 XC Sectional Champion with a time of 19:51, although her Personal Best for the 5k is an astonishing 18:45. Brianna’s incredible stats and championships could not have been accomplished without her never ending persistence, consistency, and hunger to win.
Brianna started her journey with running in Middle School. She ran Eisenhower Track in eighth grade and played soccer her freshman year of high school, but her passion for running took over, and she switched to Cross Country and Track all year round her Sophomore year. When asked what her favorite thing about running was, Brianna answered, “My favorite thing about running is doing long runs with the distance team!” Brianna is attending Clemson University this fall, and although she is not running for the Tigers, she plans on joining a run club and will continue her passion throughout college.
Her hard work and dedication as captain of all three of her sports have certainly not gone unnoticed. Brianna’s distance teammate and friend, Meghan Prendergast, has had Brianna as a leader throughout all three seasons of her track and field and cross country career. When asked about Brianna’s impact on the team, the Junior states, “Brianna is an amazing teammate and friend! Her support throughout the season has been amazing, and she has guided me to become a better teammate and athlete. Brianna’s example of a dedicated athlete and her leadership has kept me focused on my goals, and her support has made them possible.” Meghan is just one of the many teammates and friends that Brianna’s positive attitude and resilient work ethic has impacted for the better.
Brianna’s dedication was most closely observed by her coach throughout her entire high school experience, Coach Nangle. When asked about Brianna’s improvement and hard work over the years, Nangle stated, “Brianna has been one of the hardest-working athletes I have ever coached. Everyday she came to practice wanting to give her best and to be able to compete with the best. Because of this, she is one of the fastest 3200 meter runners in school history, a State Sectional Champion in Cross Country, and has been an all-county athlete in multiple seasons.”
Brianna is an admirable athlete for her hard work, commitment, and compassion for her teammates. She is a perfect example of a determined track athlete, and we wish her all the best at Clemson, and in her future running career!
