- Favorite subject is math
- Started running in 2nd grade
- Also plays tennis
- Favorite place is Mill Pond
Mercy High School – Stella Johnson won 4Frenzy’s “Favorite Freshman” ” in Local 4’s Fall Fan Choice Awards. She runs cross country at Mercy High School. Stella first began running in the second grade and hasn’t stopped since.
“I started running for Girls on the Run with my mom in second grade,” she says. Even though this is only her first year on the team, Stella shared some advice for those who are interested in running.
"Just go for it. It’s a lot of fun and the team is always there to support you,” she says. “Every season in every sport, you’re going to struggle with something, but in cross country even though it’s very individual, it’s a very united sport.”
In just a short few months of being a part of the team, Stella says that she has learned plenty of lessons and enjoys seeing the improvements in her running. "We started conditioning right in July, and I felt right at home, " she says. “I’ve learned that it’s going to take multiple tries and that’s totally fine, and you’re always gonna have a support system around no matter what you need.”
She continues, "I like getting better... I'll do a meet and see my time and then I know that next time my goal is to get 10 seconds faster."
Stella also enjoys tennis and has been playing for almost as long as she has been running. “I’ve been playing tennis since I was 7-years-old,” she says. When asked if she could choose which sport she loves most, she responded, “I love them both.”
In regards to managing her time, school and sports, Stella says that it’s pretty easy. “I do a lot of things, but they all have their own particular season,” she explains. “So, I’ll play tennis in the spring and I’ll work indoor in the winter, and do running on the weekends, and then I do a mix of both in the summer because I’m not in school.”
As the “Favorite Freshman” winner of the Fall Fan Choice Awards, Stella says that she is very honored to have won the category. “I work really hard in everything I do,” she says. “I give my best at school and in sports.”
Special thank you to DMC Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine, Hungry Howie’s, Meijer, Southeast Michigan Ford Dealers, and Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation for being our Fall 2019 Fan Choice Award Sponsors!