Hi-Line Athlete Profile: Tamera O'Leary, Havre XC

When it comes to running, there’s really only two schools of thought. Some people love it, and do it routinely. The other half just thinks those people are crazy.

But Havre High senior cross country standout Tamera O’Leary is a little bit of both. O’Leary, a four-year varsity runner for the Blue Ponies, is certainly dedicated to her sport, but she certainly sees the other side.

“Yes, I don’t understand why we voluntarily run 3.2 miles for fun,” she said.

But O’Leary indeed does voluntarily run, and as an HHS runner, she’s had quite the success, especially this season where she’s posted five Top 10 finishes, and she won the Malta Invitational two weeks ago. O’Leary was also Top 15 at last week’s Eastern A Fall Classic, which is the Blue Ponies’ final tuneup for the Class A state meet, which comes Friday in Kalispell.

Once at state, O’Leary will look to beat her personal best of 20:00, which she has crested several times in her career, but doing that will be tough considering the cold and snow that will likely impact the meet.

“It’s definitely going to be a challenge running in the cold but it’s not something that we haven’t had to deal with before,” O’Leary said.

And running for as long as she has, O’Leary, who also has been a cheerleader at HHS and who is a standout tennis player in the spring, has dealt with all types of running conditions in her career. So she’ll do so one more time at the state meet this week, but before the Blue Ponies head to their final races of 2020, the Havre Daily News caught up with O’Leary for five fun questions.

HDN: How long have you been distance running, and what do you love about it?

O’Leary: “I have been running for 5 years now. I love the feeling of being in the best shape you can be and you can eat as much as you want.”

HDN: What is the best part of competing in cross country?

O’Leary: “The best part of competing is the feeling you get when you’re done with the race. I don’t know how to exactly explain it, but it makes up for all the pain during the race.”

HDN: You are a senior during this pandemic. What has that been like so far, not just in XC but school in general?

O’Leary: “Let’s just say it sucks. You don’t get to have the true full experience. All of the fun activities you would usually do is canceled, but I think our grade is making the most out of what we got.”

HDN: What are your plans for after high school?

O’Leary: “I’m not exactly sure where I am gonna go yet but I would like to become a dental hygienist.”

HDN: What is your goal for the state meet?

O’Leary: “My goal this year is to get top 15 and PR.”