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By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider

Although she grew up in Baylor's back yard – roughly 55 miles away in Harker Heights – Ella Perry had always envisioned going out of state for college. Maybe even one of the military academies, with her sister, Riley, at the Naval Academy, and her brother, Henry, going to West Point.

But with her dad, Henry, deployed to Afghanistan and her siblings away for college, that left Ella and her mom, Julia, at home, "just us two."

"That year made me realize how important home and family were to me," said Perry, a sophomore on the Baylor women's cross-country team. "That's when I knew I wanted to stay closer to home, and Baylor was the perfect place to do that."

There was also the "unique" attraction of a faith-based private school where she could "further myself as a follower and just grow spiritually."

"Growing up in a military household, everything around me was always changing – new places, new schools, new people," she said. "But the one thing that always stayed constant was God and His love. I knew I wanted to go to a school where I could continue to grow in my faith and become a better person and follower of Christ, not just a better athlete or student."

At Harker Heights High School, Ella won three-consecutive district cross country championships and placed 25^th as a senior at the Class 6A state championships with a school-record 5K time of 18:19.80. She also looked at TCU, San Diego State and Houston before eventually signing with Baylor.

"Ella is talented," Baylor coach David Barnett said. "She came from a background of not doing a whole lot of mileage. Sometimes, it takes a year or two for the potential and the reality to come together. But I would be surprised if she wasn't all-region sooner than later and give herself a chance to score in the Big 12 (track and field meet) by the time she's done. It's kind of a matter of how quickly we can bridge the gap between workouts and races."

Even as a freshman on a more veteran cross-country team in 2024, Perry was consistently the Bears' No. 2 runner and beat her previous 5K PR with an 18:11.1 clocking at the Texas A&M Invitational.

"I really liked that team last year," Ella said. "Coming in, there was a leadership dynamic already established. So, it was a good learning experience for me. They definitely taught me a lot about college running. And they were supporters that I could lean on and ask questions to. I got to run with some amazing ladies. I'm very grateful for the ones who have graduated and left."

Instead of pressure, Ella sees running higher in the lineup as "an extra source of motivation." Her best performance this fall has been a sixth-place finish at the season-opening Gerald Richey Invitational in Arlington, where she placed sixth in a 3.12-mile time of 17:53.7.

"I always know Ruth (Kimeli) will be up there in front. She's very inspirational," Ella said of Kimeli, who qualified last year for the NCAA Cross Country Championships. "I really want to be like her one day. So, being the No. 2 is just extra motivation. This year, we're all pretty close in time, so it's more competitive. It's awesome in a race, looking back and seeing your teammates to the left or right of you."

Last spring, Ella got the chance to run in both home meets at Clyde Hart Track and Field Stadium, winning the 3,000 meters at the Clyde Hart Classic in March and finishing ninth in the 5,000 at the Michael Johnson Invitational in April.

"That was probably the best atmosphere, honestly, just being on our home track, the place where we spend a lot of our training," she said. "Being close to home, a lot of my family was able to come up and watch. My brother was able to drive up, so that was awesome. Nothing beats having a home meet and the atmosphere it creates."

Next up for Perry and the rest of the Baylor cross country team is a trip to Friday's NCAA South Central Regional at Agri Park in Fayetteville, Ark. The women's 6K race starts at 10:30 a.m., followed by the men's 10K at 11:30.

"It's really exciting to be there," she said. "The energy is completely different, and it is very motivating to line up with so many great runners. My goal is to finish the season strong by running my best time and enjoying the experience with my teammates. We have all worked hard to get here, and I just want to have fun and end the season on a positive note."

In her second full year as a nutrition sciences major, Ella said her passion for nutrition comes from her mom.

"I grew up watching her run marathons and always prioritize healthy eating for our family," she said. "From a young age, I saw how much food impacts how you feel and perform, especially in sports. I've always loved science, so studying nutrition felt like the perfect fit to combine something I'm naturally curious about with something that's personally meaningful to me. After undergrad, I plan to get my master's and become a registered dietitian."

Live results for Friday's NCAA South Central Regional can be found HERE.

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Players Mentioned

Ella Perry

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