By Bruce Campbell

Staff Writer



When Katelyn Belisle ran on the Enid Running Club-sponsored junior high cross-country team, she made friends with wunderkinds Whitney Warfield and Rani Melvin.

“It (running) was a lot of fun,’’ Belisle remembered, “but I was horrible. I always wanted to be up there with Rani andd Whitney because they were so good.’’

Belisle, who was in Warfield’s and Melvin’s shadows, her sophomore and junior years has emerged as the Madame Butterfly on the Pacers team, which will be seeking a top-five finish at the state meet Saturday at Edmond’s Mitch Park.

From her junior to senior year, Belisle went from sixth to first at the Centennial Conference meet and from 22nd to third at regionals. She went from one top-five finish her junior year to six, including a championship at Tulsa Bishop Kelley.

She’s has a solid chance to finish in the top 10 at state and earn All-State honors.

“I’m finally beating people who have been beating me throughout the years,’’ Belisle said. “I always felt if I could run with Whitney and Rani, I could run with anybody. It feels weird beating them, but it’s cool, too.’’

Belisle traces her improvement to running in the summer for the first time ever. She ran three to four miles a day to build endurance and found herself in the best shape of her life when preseason cross-country practices started.

“I’m definitely more confident about running and how fast I could go,’’ Belisle said. “I wish I had done that before this year. I didn’t realize I could be that much better than I was.’’

Enid assistant coach Marlene Gelsthorpe says she’s, “never seen anyone as focused as Katelyn has been this year.’’

Belisle became hungrier as her times went down.

“When I got a good time, I would want to get even a better time the next time,’’ she said. “I’m passing a lot more people than I did before. I feel like I should be up there now. There’s a difference being the No. 1 runner on the team. I’m really enjoying it.’’

Belisle has a good relationship with Melvin and Warfield.

“When we’re racing, we’re competing against each other, but we’re working together to beat people,’’ she said. “In practice, we’re working together to get better. That’s how I gotten better. If I didn’t have them, I wouldn’t be as fast as I am now.’’

Belisle has embraced a leadership role.

“I would like to inspire somebody to go run with me,’’ she said. “I like having fun with the team. We all have fun before practice. When we go race, I try to get everybody into a competitive mode.’’

She has felt a sense of urgency being a senior.

“I wanted to be up there this year,’’ Belisle said. “I’ve gotten all-conference and all-regional. I want to go all the way and get All-State now.’

Belisle is shooting for a top-five individual finish, and says All-State remains her top goal. She will be chasing Westmoore’s Taylor Painter, whom she finished second to at the Oklahoma Baptist University meet Sept. 26.

Belisle’s strategy is to size up her competition early, steadily move up and sprint to the end.

Running has been a good stress reliever for the EHS honor student. Belisle joked she’s gotten a little bit of senioritis, academically, because of an easier schedule.

“I’ve been able to focus more on running this year,’’ she said. “It doesn’t make me think of school.’’

Belisle has no superstitions, other than eating cereal every day and wearing black socks on meet day.

“I just started wearing it and it worked out,’’ Belisle said.

Belisle grew up in an Air Force family. She was born in Texas, but lived in Japan and England before moving to Enid in the seventh grade.

“I had to adjust a little,’’ she said. “It was always cold and rainy in England. It was a little bit like a culture shock. It was really cool to live in those places, but this is the place I (will) remember the most. A lot has happen to me here.’’

She was kidded about having an English accent at one point.

“People were always asking me, ‘Can you talk like that?’’’ Belisle said. “I’ve gotten a little hickish. I sound like I’m from here now.’’

Belisle likes to play basketball for fun.

She would like to be either a personal trainer or a coach. She was inspired by EHS head coach Joe Miranov to do the latter.

“He’s a really good coach,’’ Belisle said.

She is leaning toward attending Cowley County (Kan.) Community College and she would hope to run at the four-year college level in two years.

Her best running is ahead of her.

“I feel like if I go somewhere where I could get some more training and more knowledge, I could get a lot better,’’ Belisle said. “Running has always been fun. Before it was like, ‘Man, I was fast.’ Now that I’m fast, it’s different.’’