MOULTRIE – Colquitt County High’s Elizabeth Funderburk has decided where she will take her considerable athletic talents next year. It is a place where family and friends will not have to travel too far to watch her compete.

One of the top 10 girls’ high school senior distance runners in the country, Funderburk has committed to sign with Florida State University, where she will compete on the cross country, indoor and outdoor track teams.

Funderburk, who is also ranked No. 1 academically in Colquitt County’s senior class, had her choice of where she wanted to run and study over the next four years and said Florida State felt like the right fit.

“I liked Florida State the whole time,” she said of the recruiting process. “I really felt comfortable there.”

Funderburk will officially sign with Florida State next month.

More than 50 schools contacted Funderburk and her parents. Representatives of 25 visited their home. Furman was the other finalist.

Colquitt County cross country coach Mell Wier called Funderburk “one of the elite recruits in the country” and said he expects her to thrive in Tallahassee.

“They’ve got a real good program, and their academics are good,” Wier said. “And her support system will be close.

“So she’s in a good situation.”

Elizabeth’s father Darrell Funderburk agrees.

“We are glad for the opportunity at Florida State,” he said. “The program, combined with the school … we think it’s the best for her.”

Darrell and Jennifer Funderburk, Elizabeth’s parents, are both Colquitt County educators: Jennifer is the middle school/secondary curriculum director and Darrell is an assistant principal at the high school.

Florida State has one of the top cross country and track programs in the Atlantic Coast Conference and the NCAA.

Part of the allure of Florida State, Elizabeth says, is its coaches, Kelly Phillips and Bob Braman. Phillips is the women’s cross country and distance runners coach.

“They were the first coaches who reached out to me,” she said. “They’ve been honest and have been with me all the time.

“I really feel like they tried to get to know me as a person.”

Another selling point for Florida State is that it will host the NCAA National Championships at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee in four years, when Elizabeth will be a senior.

She is familiar with the course, having run it each year as part of the Florida State Invitational, which includes both college and high school races. She won the High School Girls Elite race held the first weekend of October timing 17:59.2.

Elizabeth has been one of the state’s top runners since she was a freshman and has won three straight region championships in cross country, the 1,600 meters and the 3,200 meters.

Last spring she won the state championship in the 3,200 meters and was second in the 1,600 meters in Georgia’s highest classification.

She will try to add to her list of accomplishments when she competes in the area cross country championships on Saturday at ABAC in Tifton. This is also a qualifier for the Class 7A state meet as the 1-7A runners will share the course with Area 8-7A.

The top 12 indviduals and top six teams go to state, which is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 3, in its traditional location, Carrollton. She will be a favorite there.

So far this cross country season, she is unbeaten and has already defeated some of the top runners in Georgia and Florida.

Following the state meet, she will compete in the Nov. 11 Race of Champions in Fayetteville that will feature all the top female runners in Georgia.

She will follow that race by competing on Nov. 25 in the Foot Locker Cross Country Southeast Regional at McAlpine Greenway Park in Charlotte, N.C.

The top 10 finishers in Charlotte and from the three other regionals will qualify for the Foot Locker Cross Country Nationals to be held Dec. 9 at Balboa Park in San Diego, Calif.

Elizabeth credits much of her success to Wier, who began working with her when she was still a middle school runner.

“He’s always been there, encouraging me to do my best,” she says.

Wier says that Elizabeth’s decision to buy into a training philosophy helped her maximize her potential.

“She understood it’s something that happens over a period of years,” Wier said. “It’s not done overnight.”

And Elizabeth says that while she will set her sights on state championships in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters – and, perhaps, the 800 meters as well – next spring, she also will play her senior season as a member of the Colquitt County girls golf team.

In addition to her running success, she also has been the region low medalist each of the last three seasons and is looking forward to the opportunity of returning to state tournament.