Not many sophomores have been the featured athlete in The Durango Herald’s Prep Spotlight, but Durango High School cross country and track and field runner Abby Scott isn’t your typical sophomore.

Scott is mature beyond her years, and her talents go well beyond high school athletic venues. Her high school track and field career began with a race that she simply wanted to finish. By the end of her freshman year, Scott was a 5A/4A Southwestern League track and field champion in multiple events.

Before ever winning a high school race, however, Scott had to overcome a major hurdle off the track. In between her first cross country meet and her first track and field run, she spent months rehabbing from a serious injury.

“I had a lingering injury from an eighth grade track meet in which I hurt my hip,” Scott, the daughter of Cecile Fraley and Donald Scott said. “In my first high school cross country meet, it popped out. I spent a lot of my freshman year rehabbing on the stationary bike, and I just couldn’t wait to start running. I didn’t have any expectations. I just wanted to finish a race because the last two times I ran, I got hurt and couldn’t finish.”

She didn’t just finish the race – she won – and her high school career was off and running.

Scott had five first-place finishes and won the 1600-meter race at the Southwestern League Championships as a freshman. She was also part of the 4 x 800 relay team’s first-place league finish. With two wins in the Piedra Vista Invitational last weekend, the sophomore is picking up right where she left off. She won the 3,200-meter run with a time of 13 minutes and 24.63 seconds and anchored the first-place 1,600-meter relay team.

“Abby is a great kid to have on this team because she sets the bar so high for herself and the rest of the team,” Durango High School track and field coach David McMillan said. “She has very high expectations in everything she does and it isn’t just running. She is very invovled in academic groups, and when I say she’s involved, I don’t mean she just shows up for the social part of it, she excels in those groups.”

Like many exceptional high school student-athletes, Scott is involved in much more than athletics at Durango High School.

She carries a 4.0 grade point average and has already received honors for her work with the Durango Aerospace Design Team.

She was one of 13 students to make the trip to the Kennedy Space Education Center in Florida in August for the International Space Settlement Design Competition.

The DHS team finished second after presenting their 500-page proposal for a Martian space settlement, and Scott was named the best female presenter in the entire competition.

“We were responsible for creating a space settlement and explaining how we could live up there and how we would construct a sustainable settlement,” Scott said. “Last year, it was about Mars, but this year, we have to create a settlement in the Asteroid Belt.”

She was also nominated and accepted into the Colorado Youth Advisory Council (COYAC), a group made up of the best student leaders around the state.

“It’s a youth policymaking group, and I represent the Senate district we’re in,” she said. “Each district has a student representative, and we all meet to come up with policy suggestions that get written into bills. We then show the bills to the politicians and try to make a difference.”

Whether it’s Martian space housing, policymaking, or running, Scott has been successful at whatever she puts her mind to.

“She’s a unique kid,” McMillan said. “She has a keen intellect and an unusual desire to learn, which translates to an extremely bright future.”

jfries@durangoherald.com

Behind the scenes...

What singer/band do you like to listen to when you run?: I actually like to slow it down with stuff my parents listen to, so, James Taylor.

What is your nickname?: My real first name is Martha, which goes back 14 generations, so that caught on with the team.

Who is your favorite athlete?: Mia Hamm

Which coach or teacher had a great impact on you?: My middle school coach Kevin Ford. He made running fun and he’s probably the reason I started running.

What is your favorite sports movie?: McFarland USA.

What is your favorite childhood book?: Harry Potter series.

What are the best running shoes?: I wear Hoka shoes because they help my hip. They’re the ugliest shoes ever.

What is your favorite restaurant in Durango?: Zia’s. It’s convenient and in the price range for a high schooler.

What is your favorite outdoor activity in Durango?: I love to play soccer.

Who is your running role model?: My former teammate Shannon Maloney. She runs at Utah State now and was like an older sister to me last year.