Sports Union November 2, 2018 | Page 24

24 SportsUnion | NOVEMBER 2, 2018 From Page 17 saw what WNY has been experiencing here since the seventh grade. They saw a young lady who was passionate about the sport. They saw someone that could change the dynamics of a meet by stepping up to the start- ing line. For Rybczynski choosing the right col- lege was no easy task. She received letters upon letters. Sifting through the rubble was a daunting task at times. But, it was the official visit to At- lantic Coast Conference member Wake Forest that sold her for the fi- nal time. “Over the years I have been getting letters of interest from schools. I had this pile which was actually quite in- timidating. As a fresh- man I had no idea what college I was interest- ed in. High School just started. I began filling out the online question- naires and some schools began contacting me. After indoor last year is when the interest from colleges started getting more serious,”explained Rybczynski. “I began talking to coach and felt very comfortable with him. I visited Wake For- est in June for the first time. I fell in love with the school immediate- ly - everything about it - the campus, the size, the academic programs, the athletic facilities and of course, the XC/ Track programs. I found myself comparing the other schools I was vis- iting to Wake. After my “official visit” and im- mediate bonding with the team, I knew it was my home. Running in the ACC is a honor and a dream come true.” She won’t have to wor- ry too much about run- ning in the cold when heading down to Wake