Local Sports Profile: Isobel Koger
- I
- May 8
- 4 min read
The clock stopped at 19:32.3 as Isobel Koger crossed the line at the Burlington Invitational on September 6th, a performance that stood as the final personal record of her high school cross country career.
This 5k was not the last of her senior season, but this race was a compilation of all her dedication and work she invested into the sport. The Times Argus is naming Koger as its 2025 Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year.
“There’s just a drive and an ease that came with coaching her. She’s had some ups and downs through her four seasons,” said Koger’s coach, Michelle Gullage.
Gullage explained that Koger has experienced illness and injury throughout her running career, but stayed relatively clear of downs during this fall season. This is Gullage’s first season coaching U-32 cross country.
“I’ve only been with her for the one season so far, but I would say that she’s just grown,” said Gullage, continuing to describe Koger as, “most hard working, most focused, able to keep up with her miles.”
By keeping up with her miles, Gullage is referring to the roughly 40 to 45 miles per week that Koger put in to keep up her athleticism. It is not a quota, as Gullage explained that most of the girls run between 25 to 35 miles per week. This quantity is based on the goals each individual wants to achieve, and Gullage said that Koger had two in mind starting this season: run a sub-20 minute 5k and overcome the mental barriers it takes to run that speed.
“I think one thing Isobel has been working on, and coming into this season had not dialed it in - that mental game. If you’re in your head, there’s a good chance you’re not going to race well. You either give up or slow down, that’s the demon that cross country athletes have to face… Isobel has had to come up against that,” said Gullage.
While the first race of the 2025 season Koger accomplished the speed she wanted, there were still mental barriers to overcome. Gullage went on to describe the moment she saw her surpass that goal.
“It was a week and a half before the state race we went to Thetford. We ran 1k on the course from the start all the way through finish with very short recovery in between… The first k went well, the second k went okay, the third and fourth k were an absolute disaster. She was in a really tough spot when I saw her on the 4k. And the 5k she found it,” said Gullage. She continued, “By it, she found the grit and the determination that carried her through the rest of the season. I think she ended up finishing that k almost a minute ahead of most of her teammates that were on that section with her. There was a fire - it was like she finally understood how to overcome that.”
Koger was one of the three captains of the girls’ team this season, equipped with cross country knowledge from all four years of high school.
The reasons Gullage cited for Koger being nominated captain were, “her dedication to sport, her dedication to training, and her dedication to just getting better and trying to get better every time she laces up.” Gullage wanted to add, “she has been such a vital role on the team for so many years, not only in cross country, but also in track and field.”
On Athletic.net, she is included in many top ten positions in the schools records. Most notable are her contributions to her relay teams. Koger was part of two school record setting relays in her junior year. On their home track, Ginger Long, Isobel Koger, Elsie Koger, and Madison Beaudoin competed in a 4x800 meter relay and set the school record of 9:24.1.
Another school record she participated in was a 4x400 meter relay including Ginger Long, Mollie Mislak, Isobel Koger, and Madison Beaudoin, finishing with a time of 4:03.30 set at the New England Track & Field Championship.
Koger’s junior year she came home with three consecutive championships. First in cross country, then in indoor track & field, followed by an outdoor track & field championship.
What’s next is not clear for Koger. Gullage decided not to disclose Koger’s top picks for schools, but said Koger has been looking into Division Two schools with an aim to stay involved with cross country and track & field.
With her senior year coming to a midway and college decisions still ahead, Koger can continue from U-32 as a captain, state champion and a record-holder. Koger reached the goals Gullage said she set out for herself, but her accomplishments with running will transcend what happened on the courses.
The tenacity and fortitude she found within herself will impact everything that follows as she continues to grow as an individual. There will be missteps with ruts along the path, but it would be impossible to leave her perseverance at the finish line. Koger’s steady resolve is what makes her the Times Argus’ Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year.
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