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OCTOBER 2021 7 cavalier sports W hen the Virginia women's cross coun- try team opened its season at a meet in Richmond in mid-September, fourth-year Gabby Karas from Louisville, Ky., was the first Cavalier across the finish line. She led UVA to a convincing win and two weeks later was sixth overall at the Virginia Invitational in another Cavalier victory. This year, Karas wants to see her team reach the NCAA Championships, something UVA has not accomplished since 2015. "My goal was for the team to go to na- tionals," Karas said. "Obviously that means we are going to have to do well at ACCs and I need to be consistent so that I can help the team and we can all do this together." As a veteran on a youth-laden roster, Karas knows she must be consistent in her leadership. "After workouts, you have to encourage people and before the races, you have to keep people calm and just show everybody that it is a team sport," Karas said. "You have to set a good precedent and help the first-years realize that the sport is not just about individuals. "When you come in as a first-year, most likely you were the top runner in your state or your area. It is a good reminder to let them know we're all starting at the same place together and we have to hold each other accountable." Helping people is what Karas wants to do once she completes her degree in sociology next spring. She hopes to do that by pursu- ing a law degree. "When I was growing up, my parents were in a divorce, and I saw what happens if you do or do not have a good lawyer," Karas said. "I had to write a letter regarding custody, and the lawyer said I was good at stating my case. Then in high school, I was involved in a drunk-driving accident where I was a victim, and that was another time a lawyer was part of my life. "I really appreciated them protecting me, and I like the idea of being able to help other people out through pro bono work. I can see the debt a legal case can have on a family. It can put them on the street. So, I want to work to protect families." Karas even had to step away from Grounds for a year to stabilize her own means of helping to pay for college. For a moment, however, she considered transferring. "I didn't want to miss out on the op- portunity UVA presented," she said. "I didn't want to get an education just because I can afford it. I wanted to keep working at it and get back because I knew long term, I'd be happy with myself, and I liked staying here." That work ethic is just part of the drive that has made her a leader for the Cavaliers this season. — Jim Daves getting to know Cross Country Fourth-Year Gabriella Karas In the first two races this fall — both Cavalier victories — Karas placed second at Richmond's Spider Alumni Open and sixth at the Virginia Invitational. (Photo by Matt Riley/courtesy UVA)