This is the first of a multi-part series that highlights champions in the sport of track and field and cross country.
It’s been over 1,100 days since the 2019 Florida High School Athletic Association State championship meet.
Caroline Wells was just a freshman runner for Winter Springs High School running in the 3200 meter run, where seven of the top 10 runners in that state championship race are now either committed, or currently running at NCAA Division I programs. The top eight runners would make the medal stand, and Wells was hoping to be in that number.
Wells finished in ninth place, just missing the medal stand. That turned out to be a blessing in disguise for her.
“It was definitely very heartbreaking, but I think it was kind of necessary to have that heartbreak in my career – to feel the feeling to hate to lose,” she said. “Even though it sucked in the moment, I’m definitely kind of grateful that it happened because it made me work harder, and it made me learn to love putting in hard work.”
Since that time, Wells has taken over the Florida high school cross country and track and field scene, winning a total of seven state titles in both sports, while breaking three state records – two in track and field (5K and the 3200 meter run) and one in cross-country (5K.)
Wells, who is committed to Stanford, has been running since she was in elementary school and started competing competitively when she was in middle school. After spending a few years playing softball, she found running and everything that it offers to be something that she loved.
“I love how I can run at any time of the day,” she said. “I just love the people, the community. You get a little bit of everything in running. You can be super competitive, but then you can go running with your friends just for fun.I just love how versatile it is.”
On the track and the cross-country course, Wells is a fierce, tough competitor and her competitive nature is something that she’s always possessed.
“I’ve always been pretty competitive,” she said. “Just the people I grew up with is where my competitive nature came from. I always grew up playing with the boys in my neighborhood and just being in sports my whole life, and I guess my parents as well. The competitive nature of my family is brought to how I race.”
Her competitive nature is no shock to her father Craig Wells. He says the desire to be the best never stops, even at the dinner table between Wells and her sister, who will compete at anything – even to see who’s the best at coloring.
“Just sit at our family table, there’s always a competition,” he said. “There’s a love between the two, but it’s still a competition.”
He believes that her competitive nature is one of the qualities that makes her the champion that she is.
“She has a drive about her,” he said. “She sets goals, she has dedication. But ultimately, she’s competitive and she does not like to take losses.”
Wells has consistently delivered elite and even a few jaw-dropping performances throughout her career, including overcoming a 150-meter deficit in the 4 by 800 meter relay at the 2021 FHSAA State Championship to give her team the win. Consistency is a quality that Wells believes is a key factor in racing.
“Consistency is the most important thing,” she said. “Putting in the work every day and finding your reason that you choose to race and choose to run is one of the most important things about being a competitive runner.”
Wells hopes to continue her path of greatness in Palo Alto, California, where she will compete for the Stanford Cardinal next year. Wells fell in love with the school and all that it had to offer her as a student-athlete.
“Stanford has just always had this rich history of having outstanding runners come out of that program with post-collegiate careers,” she said. “They have such a good culture for long-distance athletes. I knew if I went there, I was going to continue to develop and I would always have people to push me, whether that’s in school or my running career… I just fell in love with everything about it.”
Stanford head coach J.J. Clark recalled Caroline bringing a great deal of Stanford gear on her official visit and quickly realized that she was not only coachable, but someone that he wanted in his program Clark believes that Wells will do big things as an individual runner, and for the team as well.
“Her incredible work ethic, her talent, growth potential for being successful stands out,” Clark said. “She has a great personality that fits extremely well within the structure of our program. She’s a great fit for Stanford because she’s smart, fast and will do any training session you put in front of her.”
Wells is not one for attention, and she’s as invested in her teammates success as much as her own success. Complacency isn’t an issue for Wells, especially since she continues to set goals for herself to achieve.
“She’s pretty humble,” her father Craig Wells said. “She’s always got the next target, and that’s who she is.”
While winning presents its own pressures, Wells doesn’t let it get to her. She says that she’s gained confidence over the years, which has led her to put less pressure on herself. She knows that her identity is not based in running, which allows her to keep a healthy perspective on the sport and to have fun.
“I am a runner, but I run to be more than a runner,” she said. “Not take everything too seriously, have fun and enjoy the sport. I’m going to make the best memories in my running career in high school and college, so really taking advantage of all my friends, practice and everything is really important.”
Adair Lyden, who was the former editor for Florida Runners before taking her current role as a Rights and Acquisition Manager at FloSports, covered Wells since she was a freshman. Lyden describes Wells as confident, composed and ready to win. She believes Wells has left a lasting impact in cross country and track and field.
“She’s completely reset the record books for the next class of girls,” Lyden said. “That speaks for itself and the record books speak for her impact on the sport. There will be people who want to go break her records, and that’s cool too. You’re constantly moving the sport forward, and that’s a great impact that she’s had at such a young age.”
Central Florida has produced elite runners, including Jenny Simpson and Sinclaire Johnson, and Wells is certainly in good company. Wells has high aspirations and goals for her last season on the track, and putting Florida distance running on the national radar is something that she hopes to accomplish.
“I want Florida to be how they talk about Texas with all of the long distance runners and having good athletes all-around,” she said. “I love representing my state and helping to build a big long-distance community for Florida.”
