ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. — Fresh off graduation, former Coeur d’Alene High and University of Idaho cross country and distance star Kinsey Gomez has signed a professional contract with the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project, taking her skills to the next level.

“It’s crazy, I just moved out to Michigan, a city called Rochester Hills,” Gomez said. “I joined the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project, they’re sponsored by Brooks running. I’m so excited to be here, it’s like my dream come true since kindergarten. It’s so surreal, but I’m so excited to see what happens now.”

Training is the main focus for Gomez now, and competing against some of the best in the world day-in and day-out will surely pay dividends down the road.

“I just got here, it has only been a couple of days, but they’re really big into group training,” Gomez said. “Every morning the girls’ team goes out. All the girls that aren’t married live in a house together and we all meet every day to go run, sometimes twice per day.

Gomez closed out her collegiate career by earning second team All-America honors in the 10k at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, and has already set her sights on her first professional race.

“This fall I’m going to have my professional debut, in a couple of weeks at the Cow Harbor 10k in New York,” Gomez said. “It’s a 10k on the road, which I’ve never really run. It’s so exciting because it’s something that I’ve never done. I have no expectations, it’s just excitement for what could happen. In February I’ll run the U.S. Cross Country trials to try to make the U.S. team for Worlds for cross country.

“My life has been pretty running-focused this past month. I don’t know, I’m really excited about what’s to come. Right now I’m really trying to solely devote myself to training and not spread myself thin with too many other things. When you’re running 80-90 miles per week, naps are your way of being well-rounded.”