The 5-foot-3 junior raced to the Division 1 individual state championship this past season with a time of 18:23.1, leading the Pandas to the state title as a team. The state's returning Gatorade Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year, Olivere also won the Paul Short Run, the Carlisle Invitational and the Joe O'Neill Invitational. She finished second at the Manhattan Invitational, third at the Nike Cross Nationals Southeast Regional championships in 17:34.2 and 24th nationally at the NXN Final.
Olivere has maintained a 3.94 GPA in the classroom. She will begin her senior year of high school this fall.
Also a talented singer, Olivere has volunteered locally on behalf of youth track meets and the Mary Campbell Center for people with disabilities. "Lydia's experience and training have given her confidence that she belongs when contending for the championship in every race," said Padua coach Marnie Giunta. "She's meticulous in studying her competition and she always has a strategy in place prior to the start of every race."
