Valley Christian senior Lauren Ping on her way to capturing her fourth consecutive individual title at The AIA State Cross Country Championships at Cave Creek Golf Course in Phoenix.

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Catching Up with Valley Christian's Lauren Ping

* Correction: Ping's time of 4:43.26 in the 1600m from 2021 is actually No. 2 on the state list (behind Dani Jones' time of 4:39.88 from 2015). We apologize for this error.  

Recently, MileSplit Arizona State Editor Logan Stanley sat down with Valley Christian senior Lauren Ping, who just wrapped up one of the greatest cross country careers in the state of Arizona prep history.

Ping won her fourth consecutive state title in cross country this past fall. Her 16:40 5,000-meter time is a state record, and will likely stand for some time. 

But this past year has been filled with challenges for Ping, who dealt with injuries for the first time as a runner. Last outdoor season, Ping raced sparingly as she was recovering. It was a test of mental toughness for Ping, who is committed to Oklahoma State University.

In this video interview, Ping discusses how she dealt with her injury -- both mentally and physically -- took a look back on her four years of cross country and provided a preview of what's to come for this outdoor track season.