The first time Kathi Workman saw Sania Kuylen run, she knew she wanted the then-middle schooler on her team.

Kuylen was taking the APP test to compete with the varsity team and Workman could tell from watching her jog that she was a natural runner. So, Workman walked up to her and made a simple request.
“Please tell me you’re here for the track team.”

She was, and now, more than five years later, Kuylen is a senior signing her National Letter of Intent to run track for Lees-McRae College’s Division II track and field program. Even though it’s a Division II school, it competes against schools like North Carolina.

The school is located in Banner Elk, NC, and the area’s mountainous environment appealed to her.

“I wanted to go to college in North Carolina for the warmer weather. It’s cold. It’s in the mountains but I’m happy with my decision. It’s really nice there. It’s in a smaller town, which I feel will be a better fit for me coming from not a really big city.”

She came to Newburgh from New York City in 2017, and joined the Newburgh Free Academy track program, where she has excelled as part of the Goldback’s sprint relay teams.

She made it to the Indoor Nationals in 2020 but couldn’t run at the event due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was a big goal of mine to make it there because it does have faster times than the outdoor season,” Kuylen said. “I have made outdoor nationals, also. I’ve made it to the Meet of Champions in South Carolina. And I’ve made states. It’s very hard to make states in New York because there’s a lot of great athletes out there.”

She went to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association championships during her sophomore year, where she and her teammates, Alexis King, Taylor Walters and Nancy Johnson finished 12th in the 4x200-meter relay.

As a freshman she went to the New Balance Outdoor Nationals where she teamed with Daysha Simmons, Taylor Walters and Johnson to finish 16th in the 4x100-meter relays. Earlier that year, the same four runners took eighth at the NYSPHSAA championships. She also teamed with Amilia Wise-Sweat, Sarah Hernandez and Alondra Cruz-Delgado to finish 14th in the 4x400-meter relay at states.

She signed her National Letter of Intent on the same day as Cruz-Delgado, but she couldn’t do the distance races the way she did. She didn’t just join a three-mile run like a seventh grader. She prefers the sprints.

“It’s a lot more about power and control,” Kuylen said. “I’ve been told that I’m a very calculated runner, and

I’m a very controlled runner when I’m running. I just love the power and quickness of it all.”

But she’s going to Lees-McRae for more than just track. Kuylen will graduate from the NFA North P-tech program with an opportunity to graduate with an Applied Science Degree from SUNY Orange at no cost.
Lees-McRae, originally a junior college – has grown into a go-to college for academics and athletics. Kuylen is planning to go into physical therapy. The school has an entire building dedicated to physical therapy.

While there’s still work to be done in the final two track seasons – the rest of the winter track season – and the upcoming outdoor season, there is plenty to look forward to at the next level.

“I’m looking forward to the competition,” Kuylen said. “I do have competition in Newburgh, but when it’s at the college level, it’s completely different.”