TOWNSEND — Kyla Meissner of Townsend has a motto that drives her success on the track — and it starts with a little glitter.
"My favorite motto is look good, run good," she said. "So like, we get to do our hair and put in, like, the little braids and glitter and tattoos. It's just super fun. It's a way to keep the sport fun."
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It's not only fun; it's clearly effective. Meissner has earned state titles in both cross country and track and field — winning last year's Class B title as a sophomore in the 3,200 meters and then doubling down as a cross country champion last fall.
"I train pretty much 24/7, 365 all year-round, so that in and of itself is like a big thing that helps me to get better," Meissner said.
Meissner is again one of Montana's top track athletes this spring. She owns Class B's fastest times in both the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs and is second in the 800. Meissner clocked a personal-best time of 10 minutes, 44.18 seconds in the 3,200 at the prestigious Arcadia Invitational in California in April.
She's since added personal-best times in the 800 (2:21.05) and 1,600 (5:08.27).
But running isn't the only stage on which Meissner shines. She's also hard to rival in speech and drama.
"I have a really big love for just like performing and acting," Meissner said. "So when I'm in front of the crowd, I just like to make people laugh. Like, making eye contact with people and seeing if I can get a little giggle out of them is kind of my favorite thing."
The affable junior also has a deep connection to her community. She's been in Girl Scouts since she was little and has graduated to a Juliette, which allows her to participate independently rather than in a traditional troop.
"The town is always bothering me, 'Kyla, when can we get our Girl Scout cookies?'" she said with a laugh. "But yeah, it's super community service oriented."
And her schedule doesn't stop there.
"I do pep band and concert band. I play the trumpet and the French horn and piano, I guess, on the side," Meissner said. "Band is super important to me. I always go to band camp in the summer, and then there's pep band all season. There's music festival, that's a big thing for me.
"Plus, this year there's Bulldogs and Beyond, which is kind of another community club that I'm in. ... Close Up, that sends us to Washington, D.C. next year."
With Bulldogs and Beyond, Meissner and a group of her schoolmates will travel to France, Switzerland and Germany in the summer. She's already preparing to look her best for the trip.
"I'm super excited. Like, me and my friends are talking about, like, getting all of our clothes picked out and all of our photos," Meissner said. "You know, we've been looking forward to it for a few years."
Just don't forget the glitter and tattoos.
