Four years ago seniors Maddy Boulton and Liza Sybrowsky were new freshman dabbling with the idea of joining Timpview’s Cross Country team. Neither of the new high schoolers would have guessed that by the fall of their Senior year, a deep love for the long distance running would land them a place on a Division 1 college team.

Both girls recently committed to run Cross Country and Track at Weber State University starting summer of 2019.

Weber State is a highly respected school in the world of Cross Country and Track. Out of all the Utah schools, they have attended the second most NCAA Cross Country Championships, behind only the No. 7 nationally ranked BYU team. Boulton and Sybrowsky will make a great addition to the team with their 5k personal records ringing it at 18:04 for Boulton and 18:19 for Sybrowsky.

Sybrowsky has always enjoyed running and joined freshman year as a way to ease into high school and make friends.

“I started Cross Country my freshman year. I did not fully participate because my priority at the time, was soccer.” said Sybrowsky.

“After freshman year I realized that I had a lot more talent in running and the Cross Country team was so friendly I just felt so at home around them. I committed to running and have never looked back.”

Boulton’s running journey was very similar to Sybrowsky’s but her contradicting sport was basketball.

“I started running the summer of my freshman year. Before that I had run a couple elementary school races but hadn’t trained at all for them,” said Boulton. “I love Timpview Cross Country. The people are amazing. I love running so much more because of who I get to run with.”

Junior year was a big turning point for Sybrowsky. She realized that her love for running could take her to the next level if she stayed determined and continued to work hard.

“Before my junior year I always thought it was not even reasonable to consider running in college. As I got older and progressed in running, I started to change my perspective. I have such a deep love for running and I knew that if I used that to fuel me and just continued to push myself, there was a chance college running could come into the picture,” said Sybrowsky.

Boulton started considering running in college her sophomore year.

“I decided that I wanted to run in college my sophomore year and it was actually when I was talking to [a friend] on a run.”

Sophomore year Boulton placed high at state and it lit a fire that heightened her work ethic.

Jaimie Ribera, who is the Cross Country coach for Timpview, has a lot of respect for these two girls and has believed in their potential all along.

“Liza had a workout her sophomore year and I can’t even remember what it was but it was in the beginning of track and I remember I texted Coach Hansen and was just like ‘dang this girl is gonna be good!’ It was followed by a great season and she loved running so I knew if she kept working she could run in college if she wanted to.”

Liza went on to PR (personal record) sophomore season with a time of 2:20 in the 800 meters. Boulton’s main focus is Cross Country and she excels in it.

“Maddy’s sophomore year at state she ended as our first runner and 11th overall. She killed it and I knew she was a good athlete before that and that she was competitive, but I think that’s when I really realized she was going to be really good. I knew at that point if she wanted, she could run in college,” said Ribera.

Boulton and Sybrowsky not only work well as individual runners, but they also work well as a team. Their last year of Cross Country, the two led their team helping Timpview girls place second at state.

“The thing about them as leaders is their personalities really balance each other out in such a cool way. I am so glad they get to be teammates for four more years,” said Ribera.

Boulton and Sybrowsky signed to Weber State on November 19, 2018. Make sure to see these rising athletes and keep an eye out for them as the dynamic duo runs four more years together.