JEFF FIELDER Editor
SCOTTSBLUFF – Kaylee Bentley, a 2018 Scottsbluff High School graduate who just completed her freshman year on the University of Wyoming’s cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field teams, is this week’s Nspire Today! Female Athlete of the Week, sponsored by Kristy Culek Agency, LLC-American Family Insurance. Bentley, a standout runner in high school and in college, placed first Saturday in the Festival of Hope 5K run in Mitchell with a time of 19 minutes, 21 seconds. Nspire Today! editor Jeff Fielder spoke to Kaylee following Saturday’s race.
Q: How do you feel like you performed?
BENTLEY: “I haven’t really done speed work for about two months, so I’m just getting back into it for the summer. Overall, though, I felt pretty good.”
Q: Did you take some time off from running after the track season ended?
BENTLEY: “Yes. The season ended toward the beginning of May for me, so I took off about two weeks, and then I started my summer buildup to get back to my high mileage so I can hopefully be in good shape for the cross country season.”
Q: How do you feel overall right now? Do you feel like you’re in the best shape you’ve ever been in?
BENTLEY: “Yes, this is definitely the best shape I’ve ever been in. That time [19:21] would have been a really good time for me in high school, but now I’m kind of mad about it. [laughs]”
Q: How did you approach the Festival of Hope 5K race? Was it all about having fun, or was it kind of a training run for you?
BENTLEY: “I did it kind of just for fun. Right now, we really aren’t doing any speed training; we’re just doing normal, longer runs. But it was nice today to break up my training with some speed. It was fun.”
Q: Is this the first race you’ve competed in since the track season ended?
BENTLEY: “I ran in the Bolder Boulder, but I didn’t do it competitively. I decided I would do this race, and I’ll probably do a couple more races this summer just to kind of keep my training interesting.”
Q: What other races are you thinking about competing in this summer?
BENTLEY: “I was thinking about doing the Don Childs race in July and then maybe a couple other 5Ks.”
Q: For you, what’s it like to participate in these types of races after competing in your college races?
BENTLEY: “It’s really fun because it’s not super stressful. I can kind of choose my own pace, and there’s no expectations. So, it’s fun to just go out and see how good I can do.”
Q: Did the Festival of Hope race carry more significance to you because of what the event supports?
BENTLEY: “I’ve had some family members affected by cancer, so it does mean more to me. I ran in this when I was little, but because of [how she’s seen cancer affect people she knows], it does hold more meaning to me now.”
Q: How has your collegiate running career been going?
BENTLEY: “It’s been going well. The first year was kind of an adjustment year for me. I wasn’t used to running year-round. Also, during seasons, I usually get one day off about every two to four weeks, so it’s a lot to get used to both mentally and physically. I had to learn to compete at a higher level. I didn’t know it could get that much harder than high school because I thought I had worked pretty hard in high school, but we definitely train a lot more in college.”
Q: What were your highlights during your first season of cross country at UW?
BENTLEY: “We had a couple really fun races. I got to go to conference, which was in California. That was a really cool experience because we got to run against some girls from New Mexico who are in our conference. One of them just won the national title in the 10K at the national championships, and they have several All-Americans. So, it was really cool to run against teams like New Mexico and Boise State.”
Q: How did your indoor season go?
BENTLEY: “It was good. I got to go to conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was definitely different. Before going to college, I had only competed in an indoor meet a couple times. So, to run on indoor tracks and do different distances has been fun. I got to do the 3K and the 5K, so it was a new experience for me. I’ve enjoyed it.”
Q: Talk about how your outdoor season went this spring.
BENTLEY: “This outdoor season I didn’t get to compete at conference, but we had a lot of fun meets. I got to go to Colorado State, and we went to Northern Colorado in Greeley. I’m not used to running really long distances in outdoor track – I just did the one mile and two mile for one season in high school – but now I’m doing the 5K and 10K. I’m still adjusting to it.”
Q: Do you have any specific goals that you’re trying to meet this summer?
BENTLEY: “Not really. I just want to stay consistent and follow my coach’s plan and, hopefully, it will get me where I want to be this fall.”
Q: What are your hopes for the cross country season this fall?
BENTLEY: “I’m hoping to compete at conference a little better than I did last year. It was a really good experience, but I was so nervous, so I don’t think I competed the best that I could. But now that I have a year of experience under my belt, I feel a lot more comfortable with it, so I really hope to be a better competitor.”
Q: Are you living in Scottsbluff for the summer?
BENTLEY: “Yes, I’m back in Scottsbluff for pretty much the whole summer. We don’t start school until Sept. 4, and we don’t have to report back for cross country camp until about the very end of August.”
Q: Is it nice to be back in Scottsbluff for a while?
BENTLEY: “Yes, it’s really nice. I like seeing my sisters because they’re still young, and I enjoy spending time with my family. I missed them a lot during the school year. I don’t get a ton of time to come down and visit them, and my meets are usually far away, so they don’t have a chance to watch many of them. So, it’s nice to be back. I’m happy that I get to be here the whole summer.”
Q: What are you majoring in at UW?
BENTLEY: “Nursing.”
Q: How is that going?
BENTLEY: “It’s going well. I got accepted into the nursing school there, so this year and next semester I’ll focus on my prerequisites. Then in the spring semester of next year I’ll get to start clinicals and stuff.”
If you would like to nominate someone for Nspire Today!’s Athletes of the Week, sponsored by Kristy Culek Agency, you may do so by sending an email to jeff.fielder@nspiretoday.com or by mailing a letter to Nspire Today!, P.O. Box 454, Scottsbluff, NE 69363. Nominations may also be submitted by sending a text to 308-220-8865.
In addition to being recognized online, athletes of the week will also be recognized in Nspire Today! magazine. To sign up for a one-year subscription (12 issues) to the magazine, please send $15 to Nspire Today!, P.O. Box 454, Scottsbluff, NE 69363. To pay with a credit card, please call 308-220-8865. If you would like to increase your subscription to $20, Nspire Today! will donate the extra $5 in June to Camp Scott.
For all your insurance needs, visit The Kristy Culek Agency, LLC-American Family Insurance, located at 1012 Ave. I in Scottsbluff, or call 308-632-8598.
