SPRING HILL - There’s something about running that is freeing for Kylie Kanaar. 

"I just love the feeling of being fit, and just getting out there, especially when you’re working hard in school, it’s nice to relax and de-stress a little bit,” said Kanaar. 

But make no mistake, when she’s out here, she gives it her all. 

Springstead High School’s athletic director, Dustin Kupcik, has seen Kanaar's work ethic first hand. 

"The high expectations that she has for herself, it carries all the way through,” Kupcik said. "She’s not someone who turns it on and turns it off, it’s there all the time.” 

Kanaar shines on the track and in the classroom. 

She has a GPA over 4.0 in Springstead’s International Baccalaureate program. 

"Her work ethic is second to none, she’s the type of athlete that sometimes you need to tell her, 'Hey, you need to go home, Hey you need to rest,'” Kupcik explained. 

Kanaar’s ambition has led her to excel in track, cross country, weightlifting and gold. But her passion is running. As a sophomore, she medaled in the state meet. 

"I love going to state’s especially and the bigger meets like districts and regions,” Kanaar said. "That’s when it starts really getting competitive and that’s where the love for it comes out.” 

Kanaar’s dedication to athletics and academics was recently recognized by Spectrum as Hernando County’s Scholar Athlete. 

“It just gets me so excited for the future,” Kanaar said of the recognition. 

A future she’s running toward with plenty of ambition.

SCHOLAR ATHLETE

The 2020 – 2021 Spectrum News Florida Scholar Athlete Program provides coaches, teachers, administrators and school counselors in public schools in Orlando and Tampa the opportunity to nominate a high school senior who otherwise meets the eligibility criteria to be named as a Spectrum News Scholar Athlete.

Nominees are a) high school senior at public high schools in the Markets; b) involved in varsity athletics; c) have an excellent academic record; and d) be involved in extra-curricular activities (e.g. band, newspaper/yearbook, etc.) and/or be active in their local community either through their school or volunteering on their own time.

This school year, each school district will select their nominee, then that student will be profiled on Spectrum Bay News 9, and be presented the $1,000 scholarship by a local/state lawmaker.