10,000 miles—that’s what the Ocala native and Belleview grad believes she has trekked in her college career with the Knights.

And to think school’s top distance runner Anne-Marie Blaney almost missed her calling back in prep school.

“In high school I kinda reached my lowest point where I was wanted to be a regular student,” Blaney recalled.  “I want to stay up late and eat whatever I wanted. But that’s when my coach asked me do you really want to keep running? “

After much consideration Blaney chose to continue her journey at UCF—but with a brand new take.

“That was the best decision I have ever made and I decided to run for myself and not for other people,” Blaney explained.

And boy did it show on meet day—as Blaney racked up 3 freshman records.

But it wasn’t until Coach Johnny Gray came in her sophomore season that her times would reach new heights.

“First thing I noticed about Anne was when she would run, she ran kinda like a speed skater-I was like we have to correct that immediately,” Coach Gray remembered. “She ran flat foot where she would run and it was a lot of impact. We did that not only with Anne but the team and saw progress.”

After fixing some bad habits Blaney’s racing became a beautiful sport to watch—as she blossomed under Gray’s training and continued to improve.

“She was a hard running individual; she was a competitor –but to think that she would get to this level –knowing what I know I wouldn’t think she would—she escalated more than any athlete I’ve ever coached,” Gray said.

Right now she currently holds 15 school records between cross country, indoor and outdoor track--and became the first runner in UCF history to win an NCAA Regional Title.

 “I am just a more mature distance runner, I can balance two a days on the track and I just think my love for the sport has kinda grown as well,” Blaney said of her development over the past couple of years.

And it’s evident to those scouting her to go pro—the idea is very exciting for the 22-year old grad student.

“I wasn’t sure if that was going to be an option or if I would be one of those who tried to do it and maybe it didn’t work out so well but now I am starting to hit standards that distance running groups expect or would want for their groups so just the fact that I have exceeded some of these standards makes it more real,” Blaney added.

Blaney says she has her eye on shaving down the times on her 5,000 (15:43.61) and 10,000(33:18.81) meter times next weekend at the American Conference meet, both of those currently school record times.

Regardless where Blaney’s next chapter takes her—the footprint she leaves at UCF and the distance program cannot be erased.