Kyndall Boxell, a junior at Apex High School, is currently involved in many of our school’s athletics. Throughout the span of her life, sports have played a major role in her upbringing. The sport that started her long line of athletics was dance. Boxell did both ballet and tap all throughout kindergarten and part of first grade. With her love of dance showing her obvious passion for sports, she soon took on gymnastics until the end of seventh grade. By this point, volleyball became her forte, and she still continues to play every fall and spring for the Town of Apex recreational league.

Not only does she still continue to play volleyball, but she is also a member of Apex’s cross country team and both indoor/outdoor track and field. Even with it being her first year in both sports, she was ranked ninth on her team at the end of the spring 2018 track season and fifth at the end of cross country in the fall. Her main event in cross country is the 5K (5,000 meters), with her personal record being 21:03.60 (21 mins, 3.6 seconds). This record was set in the NCHSAA 4A Mideast Regional Meet on October 27, 2018. However, her main event in track is the mile. Boxell feels confident that she will soon beat her personal record, but as of right now it is 5:56.25 (5 mins, 56.25 seconds). This personal record was set at her most recent race, the Wake County Invitational #1, the first and only race that she has run this season so far.

When asked what her athletic goals are for this year, her response was, “By the end of spring track I really want my mile time to break 5:35.00 (5 mins, 35 seconds). I would also love to break a twenty minute 5K next cross country season.” With the end of the first semester near and many months ahead of her, she is very optimistic about achieving these goals!

Despite her athletic abilities being a strong suit in her life, Boxell is also very strong in the academic department. Not only has she been an Honor Roll student for the entirety of her high school career, but she is also an officer for the National Technical Honor Society as well as a member of National Honor Society and Key Club. Some of her goals for the future are to be accepted into UNC-Chapel Hill for college and to major in Computer Science with a minor in either Psychology or Political Science. Although her athleticism has played a major role in her life, she does not wish to pursue any college sports but does plan to continue running on her own.

As I questioned why she started running, her reply was, “Throughout elementary school and half of middle school I was incredibly shy, which was ironic because ever since kindergarten I have always been really passionate towards theatre. I was in all of the spring musicals in middle school and even the fall play during sophomore year, as well as some community theatre. However, after the play, I decided to take a break from acting and pursue athletics, which had always been a constant in my life. I actually started track because my friend, Alyssa Hall, wanted to do it as a way to stay in shape for lacrosse and I was planning on joining her in both sports. But in the end, we both grew a love for track and decided to stick with it instead of joining lacrosse, which was definitely a good decision for me.”

Throughout the course of her life, her dedication to athletics and academics have taken her very far. She started out as just a tiny ballerina in kindergarten to being an astonishingly strong runner in high school. As Boxell continues to grow as both an athlete and a person, Apex High School will be interested to find out where her abilities will take her.