Courtesy photo Mid Peninsula’s Daisy Englund (center) signs her letter-of-intent to join the track and field program at Ferris State University recently. Front row, from left: Faye Englund, Daisy Englund, Ken Englund. Back: Lauren Marshall, Mark Branstrom.

ST. NICHOLAS — Mid Peninsula’s multi-talented Daisy Englund will continue her athletic career at Ferris State University for track and cross county programs.

“I’ve always dreamed of going to college to run cross country but never thought it was actually going to come true,” said Englund. “It was super exciting when I heard the news I was accepted. Overwhelming but awesome at the same time.”

Englund, who has been on the track and cross country varsity teams since eighth grade, has competed in a myriad of sports including basketball and volleyball. However, it’s in the running sports that she has shined the most.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise, though. Englund’s running lineage can be traced back to her grandfather, Duane Englund, who had a successful career as a cross country coach at Mid Pen. Her mother, Faye, also had an illustrious cross country career, winning multiple championships and setting several school records — records that Daisy would break.

“I’ve always looked up to my mom. She has pushed me to be the best I could be,” said Englund. “My mom has taught me a lot, and she shaped me into the person I am today.

“I couldn’t be more thankful for her.”

In track, Englund beat her mother’s 800m record by four seconds — with a time of 2:27 — while her 19:40 effort in cross country bested her mother’s record by 19 seconds.

“I knew she had those records,” she said. “That helped push me to beat them.”

Although Englund doesn’t have a specific major chosen yet, the options in her desired field — medical technology — presented by Ferris helped her choose the school over the other college, Northern Michigan University, she was looking at.

“They had a better program,” she said. “They also have pharmacy, and I have been leaning toward doing one or the other.”

Going from high school to college presents new challenges for Englund.

“It’s definitely going to be a different transition because I’ve always lived in the U.P.,” she said. “So, moving downstate is going to be different.

“I feel like sportswise, the training will be more intense, but that’s what I want. I want to be formed into the best athlete I can be.”

While Daisy was uncertain if her dream of running at the collegiate level would ever come true, her cross country coach Mark Branstrom was certain it would.

“Nobody has the competitive juices she has,” Branstrom said. “I never had a doubt in my life she would be making it to the next level.”

Branstrom has coached Englund since she became involved in the cross country program in eighth grade.

“She is a wonderful person to have around. She has a bubbly personality,” he said.

Despite that, Branstrom says, Englund has a mental switch that she activates when it comes to competition.

“Her mind works in two ways,” he said. “One is happiness, and the other is just flat ‘you’re not going to beat me.'”

Beyond athletics, Englund is also a role model for younger students in the classroom and around the school.

“She is a great, great example for kids in our school system, from the little ones all the way to the ones she’s participating with,” Branstrom said.

“I don’t know if there’s ever been one or will be one like her. It’s well deserved. We’re losing a good one, but we are very happy for her.”

While Branstrom was able to coach Englund one last year this fall, it is still unknown what the future holds for track season. Track coach Lauren Marshall is hopeful that she and, more importantly, the team can have one more season with their role model.

“She always has a positive attitude,” said Marshall “I think that having her on the track team really brought people up. She is a really good motivator.”

Because of the cancellation of last year’s track season, Marshall has only been able to coach Englund for one year.

However, she’s been her teacher for three years. In that time, one thing has remained the same.

“I have never once heard Daisy complain about anything,” Marshall said.

That attitude stretched onto the track as well.

“I am very proud of her,” she said. “I’m really excited for her to branch out and to see where she goes. She’s a phenomenal runner, and I think Ferris is really going to push her in the right direction.

“She’s going to make a huge impact there. I can say, without a doubt, she is the ideal student-athlete.”