Makenna Faubion has come a long way in a short time.

The Warrenton senior has not-so-fond memories of last summer when she first started running.

“I started out trying to see how well I could run two miles,” Faubion recalled. “It didn’t go great. I nearly got sick. I had to stop, like, five times. It was so bad.”

Gone are the days of queasiness, as Faubion has not only continued to run but also, last week, signed her National Letter of Intent (NLI) to run cross country and track at Crowder College.

Looking back on her journey, Faubion said she can’t believe, sometimes, all that’s happened to her in her newfound sport.

After all, she went from a summer of squeamishness to a fall of fortune as she ran so well in her first year of cross country that she qualified for the Class 4 state final at Gans Creek in Columbia, where she finished the course in 22 minutes and one second.

“I could never have imagined myself making it to state in any sport, especially a sport I only started just this year,” Faubion said. “I have to give Coach (Jeremy) Collins a huge shout-out. I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this without him. He always believed in me, even when I was really bad.”

For his part, Collins said that he isn’t surprised to see Faubion running in college.

While she did have a rough start with the sport, she has persevered and grown into a collegiate cross country runner.

“Her work ethic is incredible,” Collins said. “Her willingness to put the work in day after day is incredible. She’s very coachable, and she has a great attitude. When you have someone who is coachable and is going to work hard to do what she needs to do to get better, then good things are going to happen.”

Just as she attacked the cross country courses last fall and the track this spring, Faubion said she plans to maintain that drive when she gets to Crowder, which is located in Neosho, Mo.

Faubion said she aims to pursue a Nursing degree while competing on the Roughriders’ cross country and track teams.

“I don’t let things stop me,” Fauboin said. “I think that running and being in Nursing will be a huge task, a struggle, at times. I’m not going to let it scare me, though. I know I can do anything I set my mind to. My college coach knows (that it’s a heavy load) and is understanding of all that. I’m excited to run. I really love the coaches. I really love the environment, my teammates and the community. I’,m excited for it (the nursing program). It’s a three-year program, but I think I can knock it out in two.”