Wantagh has many talented athletes. And yet there are few better than Julia Froese, a Cross-country captain who was recently named a News 12 Scholar Athlete. Froese, a Senior, earned this prestigious title after four years of hard work on Wantagh’s Cross-Country team.

According to News 12 Long Island’s description of the program, in order to win this honor, a student must exhibit an extraordinary athletic ability and be a leader in their sport. The distinction also comes with a scholarship to the athlete. Froese embodies qualities of leadership, as she is a two-time cross-country captain, and believes that teamwork is instrumental in the sport. 

When discussing what it takes to be a Scholar Athlete, Froese said, “Cross-country is as much a team sport as it is an individual one. The friendly dynamic of the sport is one of the reasons why I love it so much.” She was also thankful for the support from her coaches, teammates, and family throughout her time on the team and was excited to be receiving this distinction.

Additionally, in order to receive this honor, a Scholar Athlete must maintain a high level of academics off the field. Julia is exemplary in this regard, as she is Co-President of the National Honor Society and will have completed thirteen AP classes at the end of her high school career. Julia is also a member of the World Language Honor Society, the Science National Honor Society, the National English Honor Society, and is an executive board member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society. 

Froese began her athletic career at a young age and has been involved in sports ever since. When speaking of her athletic career, Froese said that while she has been involved in sports for a long time, she “would always jump from one thing to the next, not truly finding [her] passion.” 

And yet this all changed when she joined Wantagh Middle School’s Cross-Country team. She said, “That was until I joined the Wantagh Cross-country team in seventh grade and I was immediately hooked. Since then, I have been a long-distance runner for the Wantagh Cross-country, Winter Track, and Spring Track teams.” Julia worked exceptionally hard in order to achieve the level of athletics that she has, by training six days a week and doing workouts of runs of up to four miles.

 When she’s not running, Julia loves to sing, study science, and participate in community service events. She enjoys participating in numerous clubs, such as Acapella Club, and Key Club. She is also a Team A Captain on our school’s Science Olympiads team, where she helped lead the team to the State Science Olympiads competition. She is president of our school’s Peer Mentors Club, which aims to help guide underclassmen through high school. Additionally, Froese is the Lieutenant Governor for Key Club’s Fifth District and is responsible for representing and facilitating the growth of the district. 

In college, Froese hopes to continue running on a club or intramural level. She wants to study Neuroscience or Psychology in college and is excited to study in a field that is especially meaningful to her.  

With so many talents both on and off the field, one may be wondering what her secret is to her athletic success. Froese believes that “achieving success in sports is not only about putting the effort into your training, but it is also about meeting new people who will support you and who you can support, too.” For aspiring athletes, Julia advises that you “never lose hope, always strive for success, and treasure the friendships and relationships you make along the way.”