In the first meet of the season, Margo Malone placed first overall in the women’s 4200-meter race. She followed it up with a seventh-place finish at the Dartmouth Invitational.

A year ago, as a freshman, Malone typically finished in the middle of the pack. But two meets into her sophomore year, Malone is already showing promise for an improved season.

“Since last year I have focused on improving all the small aspects of the sport and learned to be patient for the results,” Malone said.

At North Hills High School in Pittsburgh, Malone won the 1600-meter race at both the AAA State Championship and the PIAA Track and Field Championship, and earned second-team All-State honors in 2011.

As a freshman at Syracuse, Malone struggled in the beginning of the season. She placed 135th overall in the 4K race at the Toledo (Ohio) Inter-Regional Bubble Buster in September.

“A lot of freshmen come in and have a little bit of a struggle,” senior Alexandra Clinton said.

Malone improved her flaws throughout the first season and by October she was finishing in the Top 10, peaking with a sixth-place finish in the 5000-meter race at the John Reif Memorial Run. She turned in a great summer of hard training, Clinton said, and has been focused since the start of the new season.

Coaches Chris Fox and Brien Bell have set up an improved training plan to help the team be its strongest by the end of the season for the most important meets, Malone said.

“We don’t want to be firing on all cylinders until late October and November,” assistant coach Adam Smith said.

These team workouts have helped Malone and the Orange improve by giving all athletes a chance to help correct their flaws. Having a team that motivates one another and works out together makes coming to practice fun, Malone said. Not only does the team keep Malone motivated, but her dedication also helps influence her teammates to strive better, Clinton said.

“I think some people may slip here and there but she is one person that’s completely dedicated to what she does,” Clinton said. “That is what makes her run that well.”

Published on September 16, 2013 at 10:45 pm