WORCESTER, Mass. - Clark Athletics sat down with women's cross country senior Ruby Krasnow, who earned her second career NCAA Championship appearance and asked the senior questions about the NCAA's/Career. 

NCAA Championships Preview

Q: This marks your second appearance at the NCAA Championships. What did you learn from your last experience at the NCAA's that can help you in this Championship?
A: I am incredibly excited to have another opportunity to represent Clark Athletics at Nationals. I feel that I have improved both physically and mentally compared to my sophomore year, and I believe I will be far more competitive this time. I now have significantly more experience with large races than I did in 2022, which was only my second season of cross country. During my first Nationals appearance, I felt overwhelmed and intimidated—both by the conditions (temperatures below 10°F with several inches of snow on the ground) and by my competitors. In the past two years, I have run almost 3,000 miles and spent over 400 hours cross-training, which has greatly increased my speed, strength, and confidence as a runner. For instance, over the summer, I completed a half marathon (13.1 miles) at a pace only three seconds per mile slower than my pace for the 6K (3.72 miles) at Nationals in 2022. "Trust your training" is a common mantra for runners, and I will be in a much better position to do that this time around.
Additionally, having Coach Keklak there with me will be an incredible asset. She actually competed on this course during her collegiate career and brings invaluable experience, not just in navigating national level meets but excelling at them.
 
Q: Last weekend was your second time this season competing at the Hopkinton Fairgrounds. How much did running there earlier in the season help prepare you for NCAA Regionals?
A: Running the Hopkinton Fairgrounds course earlier in the season during the Bruce Kirsh Cup was incredibly helpful in preparing for Regionals. I didn't feel great during my race at the Bruce Kirsh meet, especially around the 5K mark, so I knew I had room for improvement and needed to stay particularly focused at that point in the race.
Having prior experience on the course allowed me to visualize how I wanted to execute my strategy for Regionals. The second time around, I was able to take advantage of the aspects of the course that suited my strengths, particularly the large hill at the beginning of each 2K loop. I was able to gain valuable time over my competitors by attacking the uphill hard on each loop and then building as much momentum as possible on the downhill. I think my familiarity with the course played a significant role in my performance at Regionals, where I ran over 20 seconds faster than I did at the Bruce Kirsh meet.

Q: Take us through your day at the NEWMAC Championships, your strategy in the race, and how you were able to earn another spot on the All-NEWMAC Team?
A: Similarly to Regionals, having run on the NEWMAC course earlier in the season during the Wellesley Invitational was incredibly helpful for my preparation, especially when it came to using the hills to my advantage. MIT took the race out very fast (the first mile was the fastest mile I've ever run during a 6K) but I managed to maintain a solid pace for the remainder of the race without "blowing up" as I might have in previous seasons.
There's a great group of runners—including MIT's entire squad, Paige and Claire from Coast Guard, and Ella from Wellesley—who I've been able to race with throughout the season. I knew that if I could just stick with that pack, I'd have a strong chance of earning a spot on the All-NEWMAC Team. Although my kick at the end of the race wasn't my strongest, I paced myself well overall and covered key gaps when runners made moves to break away from the pack. While they were my competition at NEWMACs, I'm excited to see familiar faces like Paige, Claire, and Ella in Terre Haute this weekend.
 
Q: Share with us your reaction on Sunday when you found out you would be heading back to the NCAA Championships.
A: Qualifying for Nationals was my primary goal heading into Regionals, so my immediate reaction after finishing the race on Saturday was sheer relief. Since I knew I had placed high enough to qualify as an individual, I wasn't surprised by the press release on Sunday, but it was still reassuring to see the official confirmation in writing. Beyond that, I felt (and still feel) incredibly excited and grateful for the opportunity to compete at such a prestigious event.
 
Q: You have obviously worked extremely hard year-round to stay in top running form­— take us through a typical day over the summer of training to help you prepare for the season.
A: Over the summer, I primarily focused on building up my aerobic base so that I would have a solid foundation for incorporating speed once pre-season started. An average week included 45-55 miles of running, 3-4 hours cross-training on the bike or elliptical, and 2-3 strength sessions. I was lucky enough to spend the summer working in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, so I did quite a bit of running along the Shining Sea Bikeway. I also joined the Falmouth Running Club and participated in their Tuesday morning tempo runs and Wednesday night track workouts. I love using running to explore new places, so I was constantly trying new routes, exploring new trails, and enjoying the beauty of Cape Cod.
 
Q: In Coach Keklak's first season, the team had its highest finish at NCAA Regionals dating back to 2009. Talk to us about how she has impacted you as well as the team this season.
A: It's hard to overstate the positive impact Coach Keklak ("Coach Kek") has had on our team since she arrived at Clark. Our team includes a wide diversity of backgrounds, abilities, and goals, and Coach Kek has done an incredible job of addressing each runner's individual needs while also fostering a strong, cohesive team identity. Under her leadership, we've become a much more competitive force within the NEWMAC and the NCAA East Region in just a single season.
Coach Kek has introduced an efficient pre-run activation routine that has helped the team avoid overuse injuries, along with implementing more organized training logs and increased accountability for attendance and punctuality at practices and team lifts. Her evidence-based, personalized training plans have been transformative—nearly every member of both the men's and women's teams has set a new PR this season in the 5K, 6K, and/or 8K, and many of us have even achieved PRs in shorter distances like the 800m or mile during workouts.
Overall, Coach Kek has elevated the seriousness of our program, changing the way we approach practice, preparation, and races. Instead of accepting a position at the bottom of the team standings, we now show up determined to compete at a high level—not just for individual success, but with strategies that maximize our team score. This shift was evident at Regionals, where the women's team finished 11th out of 30 scoring teams (and 11 additional non-scoring teams), a 15-spot improvement from last year. We also outperformed several NEWMAC rivals, including WPI, Babson, Emerson, and Wheaton.
Personally, I feel incredibly fortunate to train under Coach Kek. As a former D1 NCAA Champion in the Distance Medley Relay and an All-American in both track and cross-country, she brings a wealth of knowledge and experience. Her coaching is highly effective, and her dedication to the program and to our growth as student-athletes is remarkable. I'm going to miss Coach Kek greatly, but I'm excited to see how Clark cross-country continues to thrive under her leadership, and I intend to continue bombarding her with running-related texts and emails for years to come.
 
Q: As you are about to wrap up three fantastic years running at Clark, what would you say has been your favorite memory on the team and what has the team meant to you?
A: I have had so many incredible memories with this team, I couldn't possibly pick a favorite! The team has really been my family while I've been at Clark, and I can't imagine what my college experience would have been like without it. My teammates are some of the most hardworking, compassionate, and witty people I've ever met, and I couldn't have gotten here without them cheering me on every step of the way.
 
Q: What are your plans after the NCAA Championships and after graduation?
A: After Nationals, I'll be running in two more races that are equally as important and competitive (a Turkey Trot 5K and the Jingle Bell Half Marathon), then I'll take a brief break from training to let my body recover before transitioning into the indoor track season. I'll be graduating from Clark at the end of December and starting my PhD in Marine Biology at the University of Maine in January. With 1.5 years of NCAA eligibility remaining, I'm thrilled to continue competing in cross-country and track as a graduate student at UMaine (go Black Bears!). I'm excited to have the opportunity to compete at the D1 level and to experience a full indoor and outdoor track season for the first time. Once my NCAA eligibility expires, I plan on primarily focusing on the half and full marathon distances, trying some trail races, and continuing to use running to explore new surroundings and meet new people.