TAMPA, Fla. - Chances are, whenever you see Eilana Black, she’s running. And there’s a simple explanation why.

“It’s just really fun,” she said.

This Cambridge Christian seventh grader isn’t running on empty. Eliana knows she has a gift, a talent for a sport that can take her far. But she’s not into it just for herself.

“I like to use my ability and talents and do it all for God’s glories,” Eliana said.

“She also has an obsession to be the best that she can be,” Cambridge Christian cross country coach Raymond Friedman said. “She knows that God gave her an amazing gift and she’s making the most of it.”

Last year, Eliana burst onto the cross country scene with a third-place finish at the state meet. This season she returns as the Florida’s top ranked seventh grader who just happens to compete at the high school level. But she doesn’t limit her competition to teenagers.

Eliana took on the Gasparilla Distance Classic in February and won the 8K event at only 11 years old, becoming the youngest to ever win the race. Given her success, you can sometimes forget just how young Eliana is.

“She’s actually an incredible pleasure to work with too,” Friedman said. “She’s never given me, really no problems, being at such a young age. So I’ve been encouraged by her maturity.”

That’s maturity’s on display in Eliana’s work ethic. Thats why you’ll usually find her on a trail somewhere training. She’s got a number in mind. Eliana’s set her sights on a school record.

“I really want to break the middle school course record,” Eliana said.

But ultimately, she wants to avenge Cambridge’s third-place finish at states last year.

“We were really trying to win, so it was a little bit of a disappointment,” she said. “But that just tells us that we need to work harder this year.”

Eliana Black’s on the run. Catch her if you can.