TEMECULA, Calif. --- Proof of Kelly Thomas' character comes in the form of a letter of recommendation written by her high school coach that affirms Thomas' academic, athletic and leadership abilities as some of the best he's ever seen.
 
Thomas made quite the impact on the campus, her coach and teammates during her time at Great Oak High School, and now she's committed to four years of the same at Biola University, where she will compete in cross country and track & field for Head Coach Sean Henning.
 
"Kelly has been a part of a winning culture at Great Oak High School and understands what it takes to succeed at the highest level," said Henning. "Her great attitude, work ethic, competitiveness and faith background will fit in well with our program. I am excited to begin coaching her and to see how she impacts our program."
 
Thomas captained the Wolfpack cross country teams during her final two seasons at Great Oak, and she led the squad to a state championship her senior year.
 
She ran the 1,600m and 3,200m for Great Oak track & field and made the state team three times. Her personal best in the 1,600m is 5:14 and in the 3,200m is 11:18.
 
Great Oak is a very competitive academic high school, which ranks No. 1 in Riverside County in test scores. Thomas was a standout at the school, participating in the International Baccalaureate Program and bringing in other academic honors.
 
"She is dedicated, hard working, extremely intelligent, great at solving problems, and in my opinion, an amazing leader," said Great Oak Head Coach Doug Soles. "I have had many experiences with Kelly both in the classroom and out on the field that have led me to believe that she is in the top one percent of students at Great Oak."
 
Thomas begins training with cross country this fall and will continue with the track and field team in the spring.