Celine Dion once said, “I’m not in competition with anybody but myself. My goal is to beat my last performance.” The words of the iconic pop idol echo the motivational mantra many runners have adopted in order to accomplish their best. Freshman Emily Rudebeck, on the other hand, strives to not only top her own times, but–more importantly–outrace her twin sister, Natalie.   

“Beating Natalie has been the goal through everything,” said Rudebeck, “I see Natalie as a better version of myself when it comes to running, so when I race myself, I’m actually trying to race her.”

Of course, just like any running path, sibling rivalry is a two-way street.

“If I see some girl ahead of me, I’ll be like, ‘eh,’ but if I see Emily ahead of me, I’ll try a little bit harder,” Natalie Rudebeck said.

Known for their unwavering competitive spirit and raw running talent, the Rudebeck twins have had quite an impact on the team dynamic this season. Senior Maddie Bennett has experienced firsthand their influence.

“I think everybody looks up to them because, yeah, they’re like really fast as a freshman, and they’re already running with some of the boys which is insane, and they always bring like a positive attitude to the team,” Bennett said.

Racing alongside each other since the 6th grade, the twins have long since been avid athletes. Their years of dedication to the sport have been evident in their first highschool season as they reach 5k times hovering around 21 minutes. Coach Breuer attributes their success largely to their dedicated and good-natured mentalities. 

“

When they come to practice, they just like being around their teammates, and they’re enjoying the moment, and they go out and they’re kind of carefree and just have a little fun.

— Coach Bob Breuer

“When they come to practice, they just like being around their teammates, and they’re enjoying the moment, and they go out and they’re kind of carefree and just have a little fun,” said Breuer, “They like to pick on each other, to chase each other, and–you know, kind of like freshmen type, little stunts and things like that horseplay type activities–but I know they care for each other, but definitely are always pushing each other and trying to outdo each other.”

With the end of the season drawing near, the Rudebecks are set on finishing strong; Natalie hopes to make state, and Emily is aiming to break nineteen minutes on her race time. As they fervently dash towards the finish line on their goals, all the while goading each other to achieve greatness, Breuer is confident that their next three years will similarly be filled with feats of triumph.

“I definitely see a lot of potential from them as freshmen who are already doing good…with growth and understanding of the sport, and getting five to six practice days in a week, [I] see good things, [I] see a lot of potential,” Breuer said.