Anna Sophia Keller Officially Headed to Notre Dame

(SEATED, LEFT TO RIGHT: LITTLE SISTER ISABELLA KELLER, MOTHER FANNY MAE KELLER, ANNA SOPHIA KELLER AND FATHER CHUCK KELLER, JR.; STANDING, LEFT TO RIGHT: ST. ANTHONY ATHLETIC DIRECTOR KEVIN PALMER, ST. ANTHONY GIRLS TRACK COACH RANDY BLAKE, AND ST. ANTHONY CROSS COUNTRY COACH ERIC ZELLER)

You can talk about dedication, you can talk about ability, the secret to Anna Sophia Keller's success as a runner might come down to one thing. As she puts it, "I hate to lose."

The multiple state cross country and track champion has officially signed her national letter of intent to run track for the University of Notre Dame. A signing ceremony was held Thursday afternoon at St. Anthony High School.

That losing thing hasn't been something the St. Anthony High School senior has had to deal with much when it comes to distance running. Anna Sophia won the Class 1A state cross country championship all four years of her high school career.

In track, Keller has won the 1600 meter run in each of her first three years in high school. She has won the 3200 meter run in her sophomore and junior years and would likely have won it her freshman year if not for a fall in the race.

Anna Sophia said her older and also athletically-talented brothers, Alex and Peter, were prime motivators for her. Alex has been a medal winning swimmer both in the United States and in Panama, the home of the Keller kids' mother, Fanny Mae. Peter and Anna Sophia were also swimmers before they started to find even more success on dry land. Peter was a junior high 1600 meter run state champion, but his latest claim to fame is serving as a mascot for the Northwestern University basketball team.

Anna Sophia, though, has brought home the most hardware, having been a multiple junior high state champion before achieving her high school success. She said she chose Notre Dame since it would be a place where she could practice her Catholic faith openly, having attended Catholic schools throughout her academic career. She said her faith is important to her. She said she understands the classes will be tough, but thinks she will be all right.

Asked if she still has goals, understanding that two more state championships top the list of goals, Keller said she'd like to improve her state time in the 3200, saying her best is still what she ran as a freshman.

Here's Greg Sapp's full interview with Anna Sophia Keller...