Katelyn Kaltenbach's closest race this season came at the Great American Cross Country Festival in Cary, North Carolina on September 27. Spotting Jenny Barringer a lead with 400 meters to go, Kaltenbach entered the stadium a step behind. Intent on winning, she pulled even with Barringer — who has seldom lost a race in the final 400 meters — and then sprinted past and won by a second.

With an increase in training volume and a year of maturity after her seventh-place finish in 2002, Kaltenbach looks poised to claim the title. She spoke with us on the eve of the race.

Katelyn Kaltenbach (Photo: Alison Wade/New York Road Runners)

Ricky Quintana: How are you feeling this year?
Katelyn Kaltenbach: Great. I just ran the course and did some strides and my legs felt really good. I'm really excited.

RQ: Do you feel like you are in better shape than you were last year?
KK: Yeah. I feel like I'm in the best shape I've been in in my whole high school career.

RQ: Your strategy last year was to hang back. What do you think your strategy will be this year?
KK: I'm just going to keep running the same race I have all year, because that's what has been working. I'm just going to go out and run the same race and hopefully, I'll be in it at the end.

RQ: What kind of time do you think you can hit tomorrow?
KK: I haven't really thought about time, because I don't really think that matters. Place is more important, so I'm not really going to be concerned about my time.

RQ: Who are going to be the key people in the race?
KK: I think there are going to be about four or five of us. I was thinking Zoe (Nelson), Nicole Blood, Jennifer Barringer, and like Sunni Olding. Of course there are some others. Everyone here is just so good.

RQ: What are going to be the key points in the race?
KK: I think going up that hill and just making sure I just don't use too much the first time, because you have to go up it again. At the two-mile mark, if some tries to break away, I have to stay in contact.

RQ: At [the Midwest Regional], you did really really well. It looked really easy. Was that an easy effort for you?
KK: Yeah, I just wanted to get top eight the easiest way possible. Sitting in the lead pack, I felt really good. I just chilled and went with 300 to go. I think hills, for me especially, because I'm from altitude and I'm a better hill runner, this course is perfect. You can recover so quickly.

RQ: How quick do you think the first mile will go?
KK: It's mostly downhill the first part. Last year, I was in last place at the mile, and I went out in 5:30. I'm sure it will be a lot faster than that.