Gulf’s Pustelnik is one of a kind

By LARRY BUGG

Gulf High cross country coach Dean Lofton is enjoying his last year of coaching senior Jaci Pustelnik, his No. 1 runner.

'I wish I could find more like her,' Lofton said.

The Gulf girls are ranked 15th in Class 3A in the flrunners.com poll, and the 17-year-old Pustelnik is a major reason for that.

She ran a best time of 20:35 at the Zak Lukas Invitational in Brooksville as Gulf's girls took the team title, a rare occurrence for the New Port Richey team.

'We have a solid group of girls,' Lofton said. 'Gulf is having its best season in awhile.'

Pustelnik is into the intensity of the sport.

'She is not afraid to hurt,' Lofton said. 'She usually tries to stay up with the boys in practice. She is pretty intense. She always puts in a good summer of running.

'She sets a good example as far as training goes. I have enjoyed the four years we have had her on the team.'

An all-around athlete, Pustelnik played basketball last season, and she runs the 800 and 1,500 meters on the track team.

She has a 3.1 grade-point average and would love to run cross country and track at the college level.

'I would love to run for any college,' she said. 'I really want to run in college. I would like to attend Santa Fe Community College to study zoology. Eventually, I want to go to Africa and open up a conservational society for big cats like lions and cheetahs.'

Pustelnik never dreamed she would become a runner.

'I never ran a step in middle school,' she said. 'I hated running track, but at high school registration, the cross country team was running around and throwing footballs. I thought that was cool. A friend, Sara Lowman, was on the team and encouraged me to join. I showed up for practice in platform shoes and a pair of jeans. We ran four miles that day, and I have been hooked on it ever since.

'I can't get enough of it.'

Pustelnik isn't just into it for the runner's high or collecting medals.

'I love the feeling of running,' she said. 'I love knowing that I can control everything. I love the feeling and I love competition.'

She said she is very outgoing in practice and can be very entertaining.

'Most of the time, I am the one who lightens the mood,' she said. 'I am the comedian. I put everyone in a good mood. I can do a lot of voices. I have a real thing for acting.'

She is clear about what she wants from high school.

'I'm in high school to learn, get my education and have a little fun when I can,' she said.

She also is grateful for the support her parents have given her.

'Throughout all this, my parents, Tammy and Daniel, have been always been there for me,' she said. 'My Mom, Tammy, is the team photographer. She takes pictures at the races and hands them out to all of us.'