Stars and Stripes has selected an Athlete of the Year for each of the respective fall sports played across each of DODEA’s Europe and Pacific theaters. Check out our site this week to read profiles for golf (Tuesday), tennis (Wednesday), cross country (Thursday), volleyball (Friday) and football (Saturday).

Abra Mills has been a girl on the run for years.

The Lakenheath sophomore stepped into her first experience at long-distance running in fourth grade as part of Girls on the Run, a non-profit organization meant to help preteen girls develop self-respect and healthy lifestyles, according to the organization’s website. Her school in the Oxford, Ohio, area was a part of a local chapter in southwestern Ohio.

The chapter put on an annual 5K, and she needed an older runner to complete the course with her. That’s when she turned to a high schooler named Lizzy, a member on her dad’s cross country team, to complete the course.

“I really looked up to her, and I asked her if she wanted to run the 5K with me because you’re supposed to ask an (older) partner,” Mills said. “I remember it was one of the most fun experiences of my life. There’s just a bunch of girls and everyone was racing. It was so exciting.”

Her dad, Brad, said Lizzy sent her emails for years afterward checking in on the Lancer sophomore.

The Mills first left their little patch in the Buckeye State where Abra had lived her entire life to move to England.

“I lived in Ohio my whole life, and to win something in England is pretty great,” Mills said.

She cruised to victory at last month’s DODEA European cross country championships at Rolling Hills Golf Course in Baumholder, Germany, in a time of 19 minutes, 58.71 seconds – earning her the designation as Stars and Stripes’ European girls cross country Athlete of the Year.

“It wasn’t the best race I’ve had, but it was still really fun to go there with my team and race like that,” Mills said. “To be able to go up on the podium and stuff, it was awesome.”

Her time wasn’t near her best of the season, having broken 19 minutes twice – at home on Sept. 23 (18:56) and at Brussels on Sept. 30 (18:54.2). She still managed to beat her closest competitor, Stuttgart sophomore Regan Stewart, by 51 seconds.

Her winning performance was actually slower than her effort the year before when she finished second in 18:51.35, about 21 seconds behind winner Vanessa Alder of Stuttgart.

Mills said the 2022 race elevated her expectations for her second high school campaign.

“Last year, I was really nervous going into Euros because I didn’t know how I would do, but that was one of my better races I had,” Mills said. “That definitely gave me a lot of confidence going into this season.”

Mills gained even more confidence in May when the then-freshman triumphed in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs at the DODEA European track and field championships. She finished the 1,600 in 5:18.45 and the 3,200 in 11:31.61.

She will seek to defend those titles this spring and improve upon her times. Then, she will turn her attention toward keeping her newly minted cross country crown next fall.

“For time goals, I want to at some point get under 5 minutes in the mile and hopefully get low or under 18 in the 5K,” Mills said. “But I mostly love running with my teammates.”