Cross-country teams across Florida have been traveling to district, regional, and state meets. The Key West High School (KWHS) cross-country team traveled to its regional competition on Friday, November 8, 2024. Two senior runners were surprised when they saw the results. 

After their race, the Key West High School runners, Caylaa Makimaa and Naima Thomas, refreshed the results page to find they were both going to the state championship. When they found out, Makimaa was overjoyed about the results, especially since she felt regionals was not her best race, she states, “Knowing that I am going to states, in general, is such an amazing and exciting feeling and on top of it, getting to run it with Naima is so amazing and I am beyond excited to run my last high school XC meet with her.” As the state meet is this Friday, November 15, Makimaa is excited to run the course and give it her all, though she is also, rightfully so, excited about the State Championship hoodie sold at the meet. 

The other KWHS state qualifier, Naima Thomas, crossed the finish line in time to qualify for the state championship. Although she was nervous at the starting line, she stated, “I knew a lot was resting on this case and how I placed, including the possible end of my cross country high school career, so to cross the finish line and be able to qualify for the State Champs with one of my best friends and have one more race to compete in was such a great feeling.” As the state championship nears, Thomas is gearing up to run her last high school cross-country race as a personal record, though she’s glad to be there. 

With only 6 months left of the class of 2025, more seniors are considering where to go for college, whether they participate in sports or academics. Makimaa, though she doesn’t have solidified college plans, plans to focus more on finding the perfect academic school and have running fall into place wherever she lands. On the other hand, Thomas plans to run collegiately and hopes to commit to a school in January or February. Whatever route the girls choose to go with their future, they will succeed with the same determination and effort they put in for the state championship. 

Some advice the KWHS senior runners would give to someone who just started running is to stick with it even through the tough times and make it fun. Naima Thomas says, “The pain when you first start will always be out shadowed by all the happiness it can bring afterward, so just keep running even if it sucks at first!” She also reminds us that while running is supposed to be healthy, it should also be fun. As Caylaa Makimaa suggests, “Always pick your favorite outfit for your run, make a playlist with your favorite songs or podcasts, find people to run or bike with you, never put too much pressure on yourself (because if you are out running, you have already accomplished so much), and celebrate every win (no matter how big).” If you are just starting to run or have been, this advice is a great reminder and could help you accomplish more goals. 

When Caylaa Makimaa and Naima Thomas cross the finish line at the state championship, no matter how they do, they’ll have tons of support and will have just made a memorable experience they will never forget.