About three hours before Caitlin Reynolds ran onto the soccer field, she was running across a finish line 70 miles away.
Lancaster Catholic’s senior takes being a multi-sport athlete to a different level. Reynolds is a cross country standout and a Section 3 all-star midfielder at the same time.
In this case, on the same day.
Saturday was a whirlwind for Reynolds. She boarded the bus at Catholic at 8:30 a.m., traveled to Big Spring in Newville, competed in the District 3 championships and returned to school with her parents about 75 minutes before kickoff. Catholic took on Susquenita at 5 p.m.
How did it turn out? Remarkably well, actually.
Lancaster Catholic’s Caitlin Reynolds during LNP/LanasterOnline L-L League girls soccer media day at Penn Medicine Park in Lancaster on Wednesday August 12, 2026.
CHRIS KNIGHT | Staff Photographer
Reynolds finished the race in 19:17.2 to place sixth in Class 2A, then she helped Catholic win in overtime to advance to the Class 2A soccer semifinals.
For most people, this workload would be overwhelming. For Reynolds, it was something she felt compelled to try.
“I couldn’t decide between them,” Reynolds said. “I love them both. I didn’t want to regret not trying cross country. I thought about it all four years and I was like, ‘I’m gonna do it my senior season.’”
Reynolds has run distance for Catholic’s track and field team each spring. She focused on soccer exclusively in the fall.
Over the summer, she trained for possible double duty. The senior logged 50-60 miles every week in preparation for the grueling cross country season.
Before she could line up for her first race, Reynolds approached soccer coach Emily Fix and asked if it was OK. Fix was on board.
When Catholic’s girls ran the fitness test before preseason soccer practices began, Reynolds was ahead of the pack.
“I thought to myself, ‘Man, what a waste,’” Fix said. “She’s just running like crazy.”
That talent hasn’t gone to waste after all. Fix said Reynolds signed a dual-sport contract, in which she listed soccer as her No. 1 priority, and then went to work.
Staying in cross country shape while playing 19 soccer games and counting isn’t easy. Reynolds woke up at 5:45 some mornings and ran in the dark. She came to Crusader Stadium with her parents some nights at 8 and ran in the dark some more.
Fix wasn’t concerned about Reynolds wearing down. The coach knew the senior could handle it. More than anything, Fix admired the ambition.
“She had no concept of where she’d end up,” Fix said. “She just wanted to see. To succeed like that and keep driving at it is great.”
Reynolds didn’t think she’d medal at the Lancaster-Lebanon League meet. She did when she placed sixth. She wasn’t sure if she’d qualify for the PIAA championships. Again, she did.
Soccer is a passion for Reynolds. Running is more like an escape.
“For me, it’s just freeing,” she said. “It’s the only time I really have to myself. I just go out there and think. I don’t usually run with music. I just have time with my thoughts.”
Reynolds wrote down all the potential conflicts when she joined the cross country team. This was the second time she ran a race and played a game on the same day.
One conflict was the District 3 meet. Catholic scheduling the soccer game for the evening allowed Reynolds to do both. Another conflict could be the PIAA meet. It’s scheduled for Saturday at 10:15 a.m. at Big Spring. That’s the same day Catholic would play in the soccer final if the Crusaders advance.
Nothing seems to slow down Reynolds. She said she feels stronger on the pitch after a race because it serves as a warm-up.
Catholic is better off in both sports because of Reynolds. She was the Crusaders’ top finisher at districts and she’s a captain for a soccer team pursuing its first district title.
“She’s our calm presence out on the field,” Fix said. “She never rushes. When you watch her run, she’s a really composed, chill girl. It hasn’t impacted her at all.”
Reynolds isn’t sure what sport she’ll continue in college. She has one offer that would allow her to do both.
When word of her sixth-place finish at districts reached the soccer stadium Saturday, people were genuinely amazed. Peers often have the same reaction when they hear what Reynolds is trying to accomplish this fall.
“My friends are like, ‘Oh, you’re crazy,’” she said. “But they also see how determined I am. They’re supportive of it.”
Reynolds is an academic all-star in soccer. Fix summed up her midfielder’s days like this: Soccer, run, homework, sleep, repeat.
Choosing a favorite sport was always impossible for Reynolds. Then it hit her. She didn’t have to choose at all.
Lancaster Catholic’s Caitlin Reynolds (18) kicks the ball past Warwick’s Giuliana Immediato (35) during the first half of an L-L League girls soccer quarterfinal game at Lancaster Catholic’s Crusader Stadium in Manheim Township on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025.
CHRIS KNIGHT | Staff Photographer
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