For anyone who knows high school cross country in Flagstaff, one of the first names to pop up in any conversation is that of Flagstaff High School's junior Tatiana Gillick.

Gillick, the 2011 girls cross country and track and field Athlete of the Year, repeated as the Division II cross country state champion and has been named the 2012 Girls Cross Country Athlete of the Year.

"I'm excited to get the award again," Gillick said. "I feel like I did well this year, but I wish I had done better. I had goals that I didn't reach, but next year I hope I can reach them."

Gillick relies more on natural talent than she does training, but she seems to do just fine anyway. Early in the season Gillick admitted she hadn't gotten in all the training she'd have liked over the summer, but she hopes to change that.

For Flagstaff cross country coach Trina Painter, Gillick has a lot of potential that is yet to be realized.

"Tatiana is one of the most determined, tough and hard-working athletes I have ever coached," Painter said. "She combines her natural talent with her desire to train hard to produce great races.

"All of her coaches agreed that it was fun to work with her this year and we are excited to see what we can do together next year." Gillick said she has the motivation and mental aspect to be able to go out and show her stuff, but added she needs to spend more effort putting rubber to the trails if she wants to meet her unachieved goals.

"I wanted to train more than I did, but being fit and being able to come back and run, I think I feel I got in shape better," she said.

Gillick said she didn't always agree with what her coaches asked her to do during practices, but added she's glad she listened because it paid off in the end with a state championship.

"She never complains and is always ready to do whatever we ask of her," Painter said. "She is a strong team leader and truly enjoys the success of the team over anything she accomplishes as an individual."

Gillick, now finished with her cross country season, is focused on a new varsity sport as she's playing for the Flagstaff soccer team. She said that being a tri-sport athlete -- cross country, track and field and now soccer -- will help her achieve the heights she's looking for in each sport.

"After running, soccer can help me strengthen the muscles I don't use when I run, and track can help me get faster with my sprints," she said. "With a short distance I can focus on just a mile and that helps me judge what I can do in a 3-mile cross country race."

Gillick led a team of hobbled runners as the Flagstaff girls suffered through injures most of the year. However, Gillick said she's proud of how well the team pulled together despite all the adversity.

"The team had a lot of injures and we suffered through sores and aches all season," she said. "We never ran our full squad, but we were able to take people from the whole program and place people in races and they did their part.

"It was a great season for the whole team."

Painter added that outside of her own personal season, Gillick did a great job of looking out for her teammates.

"While she is a fierce competitor, she also has a heart of gold that cares about her teammates and helping younger runners," she said. "That is a side of Tati that not everyone sees, but I admire in her."

Bill Harris can be reached at bharris@azdailysun.com or 556-2251.