Good Folks Win Too
By Shane Roe

Nice folks finish last.  So commonly held is this concept that some believe it’s the rule instead of the exception.  Perhaps we believe this our self.  It’s not until we meet someone whose sole purpose in life is to do their best in all they do, and serve their fellow beings at the same time, that the notion of the good guy losing is dispelled.  Such a person exists!  In fact, she’s a distance runner at Southern Utah University.

On your mark!
Natalie Quilter was born the third daughter of Lynn and Linda Quilter in Salt Lake City in 1982. She grew up in nearby Kearns with her two older sisters, Julie and Bonnie, and her younger brother, Aaron.  At Kearns High School, where she began running as a sophomore, Natalie not only excelled athletically, but academically as well.

A Fabulous Thunderbird
In 2000, Natalie followed her sister Bonnie’s footsteps by choosing to attend SUU.  "I talked to the coach and liked their running program,” Natalie says.  “I also had some friends and family there.  I really enjoy the atmosphere – it’s a homey, friendly place."

As a Thunderbird, Natalie has excelled in two sports: cross country and track.  In track, she’s ranked in the top ten all-time at SUU in six events: the mile, 1500-meters, 3000-meters, 5000-meters, 10,000-meters, and her favorite event, the 3000-meter steeplechase.  Additionally, she was a member of the team that posted the second-best time in the Distance Medley at SUU. 

She has received first and second team all-conference honors in cross country, indoor and outdoor track during her sophomore and junior years, and first team cross country honors her senior year, with track season still to come.  

During her four years at SUU, Natalie has been instrumental in helping to continue a string of six consecutive conference championships and a highly successful track program.

Not only does she do well on the track and course, she’s impressive in the classroom as well.  She’s a member of a team that, out of 323 Division-I teams, was named the National All-Academic Cross Country Team runners-up.  She also was named to the Verizon All-Academic Third Team as an individual athlete, and, with a 4.0 GPA that she’s carried since high school; it’s easy to see why.

A Worthwhile Challenge
Natalie demonstrated her determination when she, like her older sisters Julie and Bonnie, continued a tradition of reading the four Standard Works in the space of a year. Julie started the tradition when she made a deal with their grandfather, Carl Quilter. The deal stated that if she read the Standard Works in a year, he would give her a 30-inch statue. Not just any statue. You see, Carl Quilter is the artist who has designed and sculpted the mold for the angel Moroni statue that sits atop more than a hundred LDS temples worldwide. The girls have each done it, and earned a 30-inch Moroni statue.

" I was reading up until the last minute, trying to get it done. Natalie got it done with about a month left,” says Julie.

“ The most meaningful thing about that is the legacy my grandpa has given me. It is neat to have a little piece of the work he has done,” says Natalie.

Sports and the Gospel
Natalie serves on the ward bulletin committee in her ward and attends Institute.  She compares athletics and the gospel in this way: "Athletics is like the gospel because what you get out of it depends upon what you put into it.  They both require daily work and preparation in order to stay at the level you’ve reached or to improve on what you’ve already accomplished." 

Other Interests and Future Goals
When not running or studying (she’s an interdisciplinary studies major), Natalie can be found reading, hiking in the mountains near Cedar City, or spending time with family and friends.

She’s undecided about her academic future but, with conviction, adds, "I want to have a family, and be able to raise my children."

Running is something she feels will be a part of her life for good.  "I want to do 5Ks and 10Ks, and maybe a few marathons," she says.  “We’ve been given talents and the Lord expects us to use them.  It’s a blessing to do that."

Life Impressions
General impressions have made quite an impression on Natalie.  “I am constantly amazed at the way life works, at the blessings I receive, and at the small and simple things that the Lord puts in my life to teach me and lead me to Him,” she says.  “I’m not very sure about my role in the world yet, but I know that whatever work the Lord has for me to do will be a blessing.  Life is so exciting to me; there is always more to learn and more to do.  I’m excited to see what is going to happen after this phase of my life is over.  I hope I never lose that excitement for what is happening and what is coming up."

Nice folks finish last? Hardly.

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