JESSIEVILLE -- Jessieville Senior Juliah Rodgers signed her letter of intent to run cross-country for the Harding Bisons on Monday.
Nestled in Searcy, Harding University is a private institution competing at the Division II level in the Great American Conference.
"I am so excited," Rodgers said. "I cannot wait to start my next chapter in life, going to Harding and run as a Bison. My goals are to win the GAC, make regionals and go to nationals. I am so excited."
Rodgers started her own recruiting path with Harding.
"I actually reached out to them first," Rodgers said. "It was an awkward phone call because, I did not know what to say. Me and the coach have built up a good relationship ever since then. I have gone up there three or four times just to hang out with everybody. It has been really fun."
Second-year head coach Kodi Speers highlighted Rodgers' work ethic.
"Rodgers is a special athlete. She is one that is going to work hard for you whether she is running with the team or running on her own, on those early morning runs that she goes on," Speers said.
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Last year, Rodgers had some medical issues and returned for state after missing a few weeks running.
Sophomore Ella Gary from Episcopal Collegiate gave her some competition at the end, but Rodgers fought back and ended up beating Gary for state.
"She works hard," Speers said. "There is a competitive side of her. She puts in the hard work but, she is also a competitor she does not want to be beaten."
Rodgers has won four state championships in a row. The latest came in the 5,000-meter race which she completed in 19:04.66.
Speers said Rodgers "has won four in a row, the last four years. I think there is only five people in the state that have ever done that is boys or girls included."
There are only five people to claim four state titles in Arkansas, and Rodgers is one of them.
"My dad and coach Speers in the mornings I wake up at 5:30 with flashlights on my head and run," she said. "Then in the afternoon I would go with coach Speers and she would push me until I cried. There were some workouts where it was so hard to even run, just from running in the morning but, she kept on pushing me."
At Arkansas versus the Oklahoma All-Stars, Rodgers took fourth place with a time of 19:03. She also won district, with 19:28.
"She is going to cry in college workouts too, 100%," Speers said.
Rodgers is a cut above the rest, "the dedication and the miles she is putting in, we have a full guys team and she is my only senior high girl that finished the season this year. Cross-country for a lot of people is not fun, it is not something you do for the joy of it. Some people it is and she is one of those people, she likes the competitive side of cross-country," Speers said.
Competing at the Mena Champs meet in the 800M she ran 2:18 -- no easy feat. With her height at 5 foot 9 inches, she is taller than most high school girl runners.
There is a lot that separates future college athletes from traditional high school athletes, though.
"I think that is something she had to want," Speers said. "I think that is something that she wanted, she had times that made college coaches interested in her. She just started drawing that attention and working even harder to get ready for that."
In the offseason, the Jessieville cross-country team runs in the mornings, but they switch to evening runs when school is in session.
Rodgers keeps her morning runs and includes the team practices in the evenings.
Rodgers ran her 5:01 at nationals in the 1600M and the 3200M in 11:32.
Rodgers said, "my cross-country was an 18:42 at Chili Pepper that was my best time."
The Chili Pepper cross-country festival is held in Fayetteville the last weekend in September.
"Rodgers gets up in the mornings and goes at 5:30 a.m., her and her bothers. Then she comes to school all day, comes to our evening runs and works out with us" Speers said.
Rodgers also visited Arkansas State.
When Rodgers attended the meet at Harding, she her cross-country time was 19:43, enough for first place.
Choosing a university is hard when so many are looking at you, Rodgers said.
"I instantly knew, God wanted me there. When I choose Harding, I just had a feeling this is where God wanted me. I tried to back off so many times and choose another college but, I was always drawn to Harding" Rodgers said.
After Harding, Rodgers wants to become a cross-country and track coach herself.
"I hold all the Jessieville records besides the 800M and the 400M," Rodgers said "I am just a second off from the 800M. I hope to break all of those this year. We have eight meets per year. I am going to break those records."
Rodgers is going into her senior year with just a few more Jessieville records to break.
Inspiration for other girls up and coming in sports, "trust their hearts and avoid everybody else in the background. Listen to what you want to do in life and do not let anyone persuade you to not go to the college that you want," Rodgers said.