Why this Wichita North star runner refuses to stop, even when no one’s watching
The rest of the distance runners were done for the day.
The track was empty and Nelly Puente was debating whether to do a final 400-meter sprint to conclude her workout. No one, other than her coach, Katherine Reimer, was around to see if she did the extra work.
Sixty-five seconds later, she was gasping at the finish line — another example of a runner who doesn’t know how to do anything half-speed.
That moment sums up Puente perfectly, according to her coach: relentless, competitive and incapable of easing up once she locks in.
“Nelly is easily one of the most competitive people that I’ve ever met,” Reimer said. “She does not care what she has to do, if she has a goal, she is going to get it done. We like to joke with her that she has this snarl face that she gets when she runs angry. She is just very, very determined.”
That determination has carried Puente from a freshman too shy to try out for the team to one of the top distance runners in Kansas, as she is set to return to the Class 6A state cross country meet for a third straight year on Saturday at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence.
How Wichita cross country runner won regional title
Puente’s senior season has been filled with adversity. She sat out the City League meet out of caution, nursing a hip injury that had been bothering her.
The goal was to ensure her health for the state meet, which meant the goal for this past weekend’s Class 6A regional race in Dodge City was for her to qualify safely and stay healthy.
“I told her the plan was to try to take the first mile like we would at state, then cruise the rest of the race,” Reimer said. “I don’t care what place, as long as you’re in the top-15.”
Puente followed the plan — for a while, at least.
She couldn’t help but let her competitive nature take over halfway through the race when she realized a victory was there for the taking. She powered through the hills of Mariah Hills Golf Course to win the regional championship in 20 minutes, 2 seconds.
“I hadn’t raced in two weeks, so I was itching for a win,” she said. “I tried telling myself I didn’t need to win and as long as I make it to state healthy, then I’m OK. But I was running and noticed I was getting closer and closer to the top girl, so I’m like, ‘I might as well do it.’ I think it worked out for me.”
Competitive fire fuels top Wichita distance runner
Puente’s competitive streak goes back much further than her time at North High.
She can remember playing Mortal Kombat on PlayStation with her siblings and refusing to quit until she won.
“I was such a sore loser growing up,” Puente said with a laugh. “If I lost, I would start crying.”
Puente has always been a natural at running, dating back to her elementary days when she was always playing tag during recess. She even ran for the cross country and track teams in middle school.
But when she started high school, she said she was too shy to try out for the teams. When she finally joined the cross country team as a sophomore, it quickly became apparent that her challenge wasn’t keeping up — it was slowing down at times.
“I remember thinking, ‘Oh no, I’m pushing her too hard,’” Reimer said of her intial impression of Puente. “Then I realized, ‘Oh no, she wants to be pushed. She wants to push herself that hard.’ It’s really incredible to watch. She is just a total beast.”
The final push for a Wichita North star runner
Puente qualified for state in her first season and hasn’t stopped progressing since. She was a medalist at last year’s 6A state meet, a two-time state medalist on the track and holds the North school record in the 3200-meter race.
“It was kind of shocking to me,” Puente said of her early success. “After that, I knew that I needed to start putting in more work and taking it more seriously. That’s when I started running for my life.”
That work ethic shows up daily in practice.
When asked why she’s so competitive in workouts and in practice, Puente said it’s simply her mentality.
“For me, workouts are the place to check in,” Puente said. “I’m always thinking about my future self. During a workout, if I’m not doing the splits that I want, I know I’m going to be mad later. So I push myself for my future self so I can sit there and be like, ‘OK, I put in the work.’”
Puente’s goals for Saturday’s race at Rim Rock are simple: break 19 minutes, place in the top 10 and leave with a new personal record.
No matter where she finishes, Reimer knows Puente will find a way to push herself to the limit — just like that final lap on the track during a random workout in the spring when no one was watching.
“I never knew I could get this far,” Puente said. “Sometimes I can be too hard on myself, but then I think about all of the things I’ve accomplished and I am really proud.”
This story was originally published October 27, 2025 at 5:59 AM.
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