“Thirty seconds, girls!” the announcer calls out. “Toes to the line.” The runners stand shoulder-to-shoulder with anticipation, the metal tips of their neon spikes digging into the scorched synthetic of the track. A deafening crack sends them sprinting out towards the first black-and-white steeple. 

There’s one girl in the lead with her unmistakable braided ponytail and signature unicorn sunglasses, protecting her eyes from both the blazing sun and the splashes from the water jump coming up ahead—Isabella “Izzy” Spagnoli. 

“C’mon, Izzy!” her teammates cheer as she approaches the final 200 meters. She’s behind—but not for long as she jubilantly strides towards the finish line, passing the girl in front of her.              

 As Izzy crosses the finish line, arms raised in victory, it’s hard to imagine that her love for running started with something as unassuming as a turkey trot run by all elementary-school students.

 “Coach McKenzie [in the elementary school] was telling me, after that one race, to run track and cross country in middle school. I was like, ‘Okay, I guess it’ll be like a little fun thing I do,’” Izzy said. 

But when seventh grade came around, Izzy’s skill quickly caught the eyes of Coach Reader and Coach Hudson. Recognizing her potential, Coach Hudson offered her the opportunity to run with the high school team, which pushed her to become more serious.

As the competition grew tougher and the expectations higher in high school, Izzy’s stoic, rock-hard confidence on the track or the field could sometimes waver. “I don’t like saying I’m burned out. I just say there’s times where I plateau, and it’s been rough because I lack a lot of self-confidence in myself and my running. It’s mainly me trying to get over the wall of not believing in myself.”’

During States in the spring of 2024, she ranked high and had a huge shot of getting All-State and All-Federation, commendable honors offered to high school athletes. “The morning of States, I was crying my eyes out, and I begged [Coach] Rice to scratch me, thinking I was going to do horrible because the past two years of me going up to States for steeple, I’ve done really bad,” she said. “I was just so scared I was going to mess it up again, but I ended up getting fifth overall in New York.” 

Izzy stresses that her team’s support, whether teammates or coaches, helps her with her mentality. Her fellow captain, Emily Sang, shares that her favorite memory is when she qualified for cross-country states for the first time. “Watching her achieve that milestone after all her hard work was such a proud and inspiring moment for everyone around her,” she said. 

“The team we’ve built at South is remarkably cohesive. We come together to perform at our best when it matters most, always striving to proudly represent the team at competitions. That collective drive and unity are what make us so unique.” 

Her coach’s encouragement when she steps onto the track is a voice of reason as Izzy completes her drills before a big race. “They tell me that I’m not going to remember this exact moment in 20 years, and I remind myself that I’m going to remember all my friends, the people I’ve met along the way,” Izzy said.

 “That’s what I mainly focus on, and it helps me forget about the race itself and instead reminds me how thankful I am for it.” 

Meeting many friends over the summer at Foundations Sports Camp in Upstate New York connected her with a wider running community. The girls enjoyed their workouts together, shared lots of ice cream, and got ready for preseason. “I love them a lot. Foundations help us get so much closer, and yes, we’re competing with each other during the school year, but before the line, we’re all best friends,” Izzy said. 

Surrounding herself with positive people was the mantra she focused on when she chose a Division 1 school, Hofstra, to run for. “I based it off my teammates a lot, and if I didn’t click with the team and they wouldn’t help me get better as a runner or person, then I didn’t want to go there.”

“But when I went to Hofstra, I immediately clicked with the girls. They’re all so sweet. I’m really excited to see what it’s all about, getting all my merch and being able to run D1.”