Riley Cooney

She doesn’t know how far determination and hard work will take her. But she’s always taking the next step to find out.

Riley Cooney grew up in a family of runners. At first, she didn’t have much desire to follow in their footsteps. When she was in elementary school, her family ran in a Turkey Trot; but Riley insisted on walking most of the way. Riley’s mom had to encourage her to run the last leg of the race in order to avoid finishing last.

Ten years later, Riley is a lot more likely to come in first at whatever she does. Academically, she’s first in her class. Athletically, she’s the number one runner on her cross country team, which is ranked first in the state. In track, she was the team leader and anchor runner for the 4×800 meter relay, securing her team’s win at the 2014 Colorado State Track Championship. She was also the only girl in her state to be ranked in the top 50 in the 3200, 1600, 800, and 400 meter runs in 2013.

When it comes to service to her school and community, Riley is one of the first to step up. She is Treasurer of her senior class, and she’s helping to plan the school’s graduation ceremony. Each summer, she volunteers to tutor and mentor elementary students in her neighborhood, working with the students to ensure they don’t lose important reading skills over the school break.