Osseo cross-country senior captain Grace Koskela summed up her latest achievement in less than 140 characters.

"After six years of pain, tears, and dedication, I finally achieved my goal. I am very proud to say that I am a state athlete!" Koskela wrote in a tweet. She ran a personal-best 15 minutes, 23.3 seconds at the Class 2A, Section 5 meet Thursday, good for eighth place and a first trip to the state meet this Saturday.

Koskela said she started cross-country "just out of the blue" in seventh grade with a friend after they decided to compete together in a sport. Despite a knee issue that made it tough to finish races at times for about three seasons, one thing kept her coming back each year.

"It's always the people," Koskela said. "I'm blessed that I have them."

Koskela is about to end her high school career having accomplished goals of reaching state, breaking a 4-kilometer time of 15:30 and helping the Orioles improve their finish at the Northwest Suburban Conference meet. Osseo placed fifth this year "and that was huge for us," Koskela said.

Koskela talked with reporter Heather Rule about her cross-country career.

Q: Were you expecting to make it to state this year? What were your first thoughts when you found it was a reality for you?

A: It was going to be close. I've known that from the beginning of the season. I have to say, I've never hurt so much in a race. I was really putting it all out there on the course. I was in a lot of pain. It didn't quite hit me that I made it to state yet. I was in total shock. It really set in when I looked over and I saw my mom crying, and I knew that I had really done something special.

Q: How close have you come in the past to making it to state?

A: I've never been so close that I knew it would be like something in my future. Last year I placed 36th, so there really was no hope for me. This year, there was definitely a chance. So I had to put in a lot of work this summer to actually make it a chance of happening.

Q: What was different about your preparation over the summer to get ready for this year?

A: I'm a captain for the team, so I had to be a role model for our girls. As a captain, I really pushed the girls harder this year, and that meant that I had to push myself harder. This summer I put in a lot more miles. I did a lot more intense workouts. I just gave it a lot more thought.

Q: You had a lot of younger teammates this year. How would you consider yourself a leader for the other girls?

A: If I wasn't a captain, I think I'd still be just as involved. I've always been one to put myself out there and introduce myself to the girls. I try to really be inviting to them.

Q: When you're not running, what are some of your favorite pastimes?

A: I love to hang out with the cross-country people. Those are my main friends. I work at the Running Room in Maple Grove, so that's a ton of fun. Running is pretty much my life. I really like to hang out with my family. They consume a lot of my life, and I have no problem with that. I like to go shopping, that's probably one of my favorite things.

Q: What's one thing that many people might not know about you?

A: My mom and dad always joke… about how nobody knows that I have a twin sister (Olivia). I do have a twin sister and made it a point to share that with everybody this year. She's my best friend, and I'm very proud of her.

Q: Plans for next year? Do you plan to continue running?

A: I would love to run. I've had a few schools reach out to me already. I'm very thankful that they've noticed me. I'm really looking at some schools close by.

HEATHER RULE