BUFFALO, NY. (WKBW) — Imagine you're a high school senior, about to graduate and walk the stage, but then Nike calls and asks you to come to Eugene, Oregon, for the Outdoor Track and Field National Championships.
The trip would force you to miss your graduation ceremony. Would you do it?
Well, that was the situation Frontier graduating senior Lillie Bogdan was in this past weekend. Instead of walking the stage, Bogdan flew to Eugene on Thursday to compete in the Nike Outdoor Nationals on Friday after receiving an invite to run in the 2000-meter Steeplechase.
She went on to win first place in that event, and rather than celebrate the win, she soon found herself on a red-eye flight to Philadelphia to compete in the New Balance Outdoor Track National Championships.
To the surprise of even herself, Bogdan won first place in the 2000-meter Steeplechase while in the city of brotherly love.
WATCH: 'A surreal feeling': Frontier's Lillie Bogdan wins two national titles in 48 hours
After a weekend filled with two races, two titles, and multiple connecting flights, Bogdan is soaking in the rewards of one of the most impressive 48-hour spans an athlete from Western New York has ever had.
"I mean, it was definitely a surreal feeling," Bogdan said. "I had hopes I was going to place first at either one of them, but definitely not both. I think it really hit me when I was getting my medal in Philly. It all came together, and I was so happy I had my family with me there at that point."
Bogdan's days chasing titles are far from over. She's headed to Georgetown University this fall and will run for both their cross country and track and field programs.
