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6 CAVALIER CORNER cavalier sports Growing up in Mattapoisett, Mass., Margot Appleton was a talented and well- rounded athlete competing in a wide range of sports before coming to Virginia as a cross country and distance runner. "I always wanted to be really good at a sport," she said. "And originally, I thought that would be swimming." Appleton began swimming as a fourth- grader before picking up running in middle school as a casual supplement. Before at- tending Portsmouth Abbey School, Appleton thought swimming would be her primary focus at a college prep school requiring stu- dents to participate in a sport every season. However, during her freshman season, which included cross country, swimming, and outdoor track and field, she realized that daily travel to and from the school's off- campus pool would be too time-consuming to continue. Instead, Appleton transitioned to squash and immediately made the var- sity team. An appearance at outdoor nationals in the mile run as a freshman changed everything. "I came in second and ran a 5:01. That's when I realized I liked track, and I wanted to try to run a faster mile," she said. Appleton's passion for running was fur- ther cemented after her sophomore cross country campaign, which included a bud- ding rivalry with a competitor from a nearby prep school. Appleton raced against her newfound adversary through the duration of the cross country season and was beaten by her at nationals at the end of the year, a defeat that served to fuel the sophomore in the future. "My coaches have always said that I'm probably the most competitive person they've coached … I am very much a racer rather than a trainer," Appleton said. That competitive drive fueled Appleton in what proved to be a breakout junior season. "I had a really good cross country season my junior year," she said. "I beat the girl who had won nationals the year before. That was the first time college coaches started to reach out to me." Appleton's competitive nature showed in her first season at UVA. She finished as Vir- ginia's top cross country runner at the ACC Championships (31st, 21:05.8) and the NCAA Southeast Regional (26th, 20:57.4), and earned first-team All-America status as a member of the Cavaliers' indoor distance medley relay team. In the outdoor season, Appleton ad- vanced to the NCAA Regionals and climbed into Virginia's top 10 in the 1,500 meters (4:17.17) and the 5,000 meters (16:17.51). Heading into her second-year campaign, Appleton feels that with adjustments to her postseason training regimen combined with an entire season of experience, she will be able to build on her first-year performance. "We had a lot of good racing experience and also some bad racing experience, and both of those are going to help," she said. — Quinn Hull getting to know Cross Country Second-Year Margot Appleton During her rookie campaign on the cross country team, Appleton was the Cavaliers' top finisher at the ACC Championships (31st) and the NCAA Southeast Regional (26th). (Photo courtesy UVA)