The numbers tell the story for Buchholz’s Eleanor Whisler.
The Class of 2025 grad was a part of three team state titles and one state runner-up finish in cross country, put her name in the track and field record books, and earned numerous medals competing in both sports.
She made an impact immediately as a freshman on a young, talented team in 2021, which won the school’s first cross country state championship since 2005.
Two years ago, the Lady Bobcats won their third straight cross country state title. Then, a junior, Whisler had the Lady Bobcats’ best individual time at 19 minutes, 28.4 seconds and finished 24th overall in the 5K race.
This past year, she finished 11th overall to help lead the Lady Bobcats to a state runner-up finish. Her time of 18:24 bested her regionals time by just over 20 seconds.
At the end of her cross country career, Whisler became the most decorated distance runner in school history with nine medals, breaking a tie with Kate Drummond and Lucy Voss (7).
She also finished 11th in the 3200-meter run in 11:10.12 at the FHSAA Track and Field State Championships on the campus of the University of North Florida in Jacksonville in May.
Whisler was part of the school record-breaking 4×800 relay team and her time of 10:58 in the 3200 is the second fastest in Buchholz history.
The Navy signee has a personal record of 18:02 in the 5k.
“The way I feel, honestly, you can’t replace her,” said Buchholz girls cross country coach Mike Maren, who also coaches track and field. “She’s successful with everything. She was like 14th out of 600-something in her class. That’s amazing because there’s some strong kids in that school with AP classes.”
In fact, Whisler finished in the top 10% of her class all four years of high school and was a top 20 graduate, finishing 16th out of 604 students and graduating with a 4.85 grade point average.
She took 14 AP classes throughout high school and earned a Scholar Athlete Award and the AP Capstone Diploma.
The key to balancing school and sports while in high school was “knowing that being a student always comes before being an athlete.”
“Therefore, by challenging myself in the classroom and on the track, I learned great time management skills and how to prioritize one over the other,” Whisler said. “Practice was always the same time after school. So, after practice was over, I would often go to Starbucks to study and do homework. I also had a part-time job at Wendy’s from freshman to junior year, so I would have a set schedule of running, study, and work. I was always busy, but I appreciated the hustle. I learned a good work ethic while also succeeding in everything I did.”
And she did it without complaining.
“She did everything she was asked to do,” Maren said. “She worked hard, she was a great student, she was a great person, and she was really good to her teammates, a good leader…she lifted people up. She was very unselfish. She’s just a special person.”
Whisler’s journey began at an early age, and it didn’t take her long to figure out which path was best for her athletically.
“I was in the running club at Queen of Peace Catholic Academy in Pre-K when I was four years old,” she said. “Although I played other sports, like basketball and volleyball, I fell in love with the sport of cross country and track. When it came to high school, I had to choose one sport. I decided that I would pick track instead of volleyball and it was the best decision I ever made.”
One of her favorite high school sports moments was breaking the school’s track and field record with her 4×800 team and a team state runner-up finish in 2022.
She also finished sixth at state in the 3200 in 2023, seventh in the 3200 in 2024, and she had an eighth-place finish with the 4×800 relay team in 2024.
Whisler, who finished eighth in the 3200 in 11:16.56 at the UF Pepsi Florida Relays this past April, said she will always remember “all the girls that got me where I am.”
“My team was always close-knit, and I made some of my closest friends through running,” she said. “It creates such a strong bond when your teammates see you at your highest and your lowest. These girls pushed me through some of my toughest mental blocks while also being my biggest supporters. I had the opportunity to captain the team my senior year, and they’ve taught me so many things.”
She’s also learned not to take things for granted.
“Don’t let your sport take over your life,” Whisler said. “Make time for your schooling because your brain is what will get you further in life. In an instant, your sports career can be over from an injury, but if you have a good foundation in school, you will succeed.”
Now, after a great high school career, she’s looking forward to the next chapter in her life.
“I’m dedicated to a career and future of naval service and am willing to persevere through any challenges that the Naval Academy may throw my way,” she said.
In addition to running Division I cross country and track at the U.S. Naval Academy, she will be majoring in mechanical engineering and hopes to be commissioned as a Naval Aviation Officer.
According to her grandfather, Timothy Swan, she has run 50 track races and 35 cross country races for a total of 311,019 meters, or 193.26 miles. The biggest distance was in cross country (175,000 meters/108.74 miles), followed by track (132,800 meters/82.52 miles) and indoor track competition (3,219 meters/ 2.00 miles).
“What she meant to the team is immeasurable,” Maren said. “I wish her the best. She’s very motivated and when she goes to the Naval Academy, she will succeed because when she sets her mind to something, she’ll succeed. She’s that kind of person. That’s just the type of kid that she is.”