On any fall afternoon at Cardinal Gibbons, it’s not unusual to see runners weaving through the campus roads, running the halls during the winter season, or pushing through tough workouts on the track. But one runner has stood out this season not just for her speed, but for the way she carries herself as both a competitor and a teammate: sophomore Kaitlyn Estep.

Although she also competes in track, Estep has become especially known for her dominance in cross country, where she continues to build a reputation across North Carolina as one of the most talented young distance runners in the state.

A State Champion Season

This past season, Estep achieved what many runners can only dream of, helping lead her team to a 7A state championship. Even more impressive, she set a personal record of 17:04, a major improvement from her previous best of 17:46.

For Estep, the “PR” wasn’t just about numbers.

She explained that breaking into the 17 minute range for a 5K was a milestone because she had been chasing it for years. Her previous PR of 17:46 dated all the way back to seventh grade, meaning that her achievement represented many years of steady growth and determination.

Still, when asked what accomplishment she’s most proud of, Estep didn’t point to her time.

Instead, she highlighted the team’s victory.

“Cross country team line winning states because even though we also won last year, this year it was a much different team than last year,” she said.

That sense of pride in her teammates is one of the many parts of what makes her such a key figure on the team.

Inspired by Family, Fueled by Passion

Estep’s running journey began long before she ever put on a Cardinal Gibbons uniform. She ran cross country from sixth through eighth grade at Cary Christian, and her love for the sport started at home.

“My bigger sister was in cross country in middle school and throughout high school and my dad helped coach so with both these components together led me to love the sport even more,” said Estep.

That early exposure turned into something bigger, something that would eventually grow into state level success.

Behind every fast time is a routine built on consistency. For Estep, a typical training week is a mix of endurance, speed, and mental focus.

“Training throughout the week consists of continuous runs around 40-to-50 minutes tied into workouts including intervals on the track for harder paces, and finishing the week with either a race or a long run,” said Estep.

Her readiness and willingness to embrace both easy miles and hard sessions is what makes her set apart from many other young runners.

The Mental Battle Behind the Miles

While the physical training is intense, Estep says one of the hardest parts of competing at a high level is mental.

“I would say the hardest part of cross country is definitely the mental challenge of having to go out there with a bunch of other girls and race yourself along with racing all your other competition and just having to push up through the challenging courses.”

Despite facing challenges, she pushes forward.

Racing competitively is much deeper than just about beating others, it’s about racing yourself. 

“If you’re not feeling that well in that race, having to push past it and to still try your best is always a challenge.”                                                                                                                                                            

Head cross country and track coach, Mr. Nick Mangum, believes Estep’s versatility is what truly sets her apart.

“I think as a distance runner what makes her stand out is her versatility,”  Mangum said. “She has the ability to go up to the longer races and still be elite and I have not seen an athlete in my 21 years as a coach to be able to do it as well as her.”

He explains that athletes who are truly elite have to have three things: talent, grit, and discipline.

Mangum says you can have two of those and be really good, but you need all three to be elite, and Kaityn’s got all of them. 

Faith and Focus

Before every race, Estep keeps her routine simple and meaningful.

“Before a race I’ll always pray with my mom and I feel like that’s probably my favorite along with just praying with the team.”

Her faith keeps her grounded, while her competitive focus keeps her sharp.

Balancing school and athletics is no easy task, but Estep emphasizes the importance of structure.

“I’ve been pretty good at time management since middle school and I’ve just been building good habits since then, but I would say It’s hard to do both school and cross country well,”  Estep said. “But if you plan both out directly and don’t become overly obsessed with either and have a great balance.”

Even with state titles and record times, academics remain a huge priority to Estep.

“Balance is definitely very important, like being an athlete is very important but you shouldn’t be more of an athlete than a student.”

Looking Toward the Future

Estep says she hopes to be remembered for more than just fast times,

“I think for track for me to be remembered for my times would be amazing because those stay there, but also just as a runner who encourages her teammates and who’s there for the team aspects along with establishing something strong in the North Carolina reign for running not just at the school but throughout the whole state.” 

Looking beyond high school, she plans to continue running at the collegiate level, carefully considering culture, coaches and team environment.

“I want to be present in the recruiting aspects and not just drift towards the school with the biggest team,” said Estep.

For now, Kaitlyn Estep carries on doing what she has continuously done, showing up, working hard and lifting others along the way. As she adds to her list of accomplishments, she is also shaping a legacy defined not only by victories and fast times but as well as leadership, character and the impacts she leaves on her team.