What a difference a year makes.

Last season Pacelli eighth grader Kayla Christopherson was the last state qualifier at the Section 1A cross country meet. She finished the race in 10th place with a time of 16:23.8 and went on to take 62nd place at the Class A state meet. This year, she won the Section 1A race with a time of 15:40 and she has hopes of winning the Class A state meet.

Christopherson’s win at the Section 1A meet was the first race she’s won this season and she said she wasn’t exactly expecting to win the meet coming into it.

“I did surprise myself. I guess it’s practice that got me so far. I worked over the summer this year and last year I didn’t start until August,” Christopherson said. “I look back and I see how much I’ve grown. I’m impressed with myself on how much better I’ve gotten.”

Despite her small stature, Christopherson has plenty of energy to go around. She spends time playing touch football on the playground before cross country practice and she’s often in the gym running around after cross country practice.

“Kayla is a naturally active kid,” Pacelli head coach Jim Parlin said. “She’s certainly working harder in practice this year and her expectations are higher this year. She always wants to move up a little bit in every race. She wants to be in front of the pack.”

Christopherson will run at the Class A state meet at St. Olaf College in Northfield Saturday at 11 a.m.

She said running at state last year gives her some experience, but she’s just as nervous as she was last season, since she has higher goals this year.

“Now that I’m doing better, I have higher expectations this time,” Christopherson said.

Christopherson said that she will try to keep her eye on WEM/JWP’s Tierney Winter during the state meet. Christopherson has raced against Winter in the regular season and she hopes to keep up with the junior.

Christopherson also made sure to thank those that helped her get back to state.

“I want to thank my coach, the school, my parents, my teammates and God,” she said.