Marina's Hollander the 2011 girls cross country athlete of the year

The seeds of a remarkable breakthrough 2011 season produced by Marina senior Laura Hollander were planted nearly two years ago.

As a sophomore, Hollander longed to run on the same level as some of the county’s elite runners. At that time, she made the decision that in order to maximize her distance-running talent, she would have to adhere to a strict diet to help her lose weight and dedicate herself to a rigorous training regimen.

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2011 All-County girls cross country team

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That discipline and focus on improving her performance manifested itself into a senior season that vaulted Hollander from a virtual unknown to a place among the best runners in Southern California.

It also earned her the distinction of being selected as the Orange County Register’s 2011 girls cross country athlete of the year.

“To be among some of the other great runners that have won this award is unbelievable to me,” said Hollander. “Thinking about what I had to go through and improving so much makes me proud.”

Hollander provided a simple explanation into why her decision to completely cut out junk food and go to a healthy diet was so important in not only shaping her physical development, but establishing a mental approach to preparing for the season.

“I knew that I had potential and if I wanted to become a better runner and compete with the best girls, something had to change,” recalled Hollander. “Once I got that in my mind, I wanted to keep going after it.”

The season got underway in victorious fashion for Hollander, who claimed individual race victories at the Don Bosco Tech and Woodbridge invitationals, as well as the Sunset League preview meet.

Hollander led much of the sweepstakes race at the Orange County before Newport Harbor junior Paige Tennison claimed the individual title with a final mile burst; Hollander placed second.

She would get her chance at redemption two weeks later at the Sunset League finals. Once again forging an early lead, Hollander was able to hold off another late charge by Tennison to win the individual league title, while leading the Vikings to the team title.

“Winning league was one of my goals,” Hollander said. “I went into the race knowing Paige was going to battle me and I concentrated on giving it everything I had.”

Hollander placed sixth at the CIF-SS Division 1 finals and helped Marina qualify for the state meet, but wasn’t satisfied with her result.

“For me, it was a horrible race,” Hollander said. “Going into another big race the following week at the state meet, I was unsure of where I would be.”

She rebounded with a stellar performance on the state’s biggest stage of the season. Running strongly throughout the Division 1 race, Hollander crossed the finish line in second place with a time of 17:32, the best of all county runners that competed at the meet. With that effort leading the way, Marina finished third as a team.

“I stuck more to my race at the state meet, and when it was over, felt really good about it,” said Hollander. “I was so happy that I was able to overcome the mental uncertainty from the week before.”

Hollander’s effort at the state meet led to her selection to compete with some of the best runners in the nation at the Nike Cross Nationals in Portland and put a triumphant end to a long journey of realizing her dream.

“All the extra work I put in was hard, but worth it,” she said. “This is exactly where I wanted to be.”