Click here to view original article - written by Portland Press Herald Staff Writer Kevin Thomas. 

STANDISH - Amber Dostie is comfortable on the St. Joseph's College campus, which is only eight miles away from her family's Standish home.

And even in the dorm, Dostie enjoys familiarity with twin sister (and field hockey player) Peyton, her roommate.

But Amber Dostie is not one to strive for comfort on the cross country trail.

"I want to do better," said Dostie, the Bonny Eagle graduate now in her freshman year with the Monks.

Dostie handles change well, it turns out. In her first collegiate meet 12 days ago, Dostie was the second-place finisher (and first Division III runner) in the Rivier Invitational, covering the 5K course in 19:32.

In last weekend's Colby Invitational, in wet conditions, Dostie won the 5K race in 20:25.

"She's a very talented young runner," Monks Coach Ray Putnam said.

Dostie was a standout runner for the Scots, known mainly for her track prowess (state indoor 800-meter champion). College is an obvious step up in competition, and Dostie is jumping right into it.

"Now I'm training a lot harder," she said. "I'm working out with the men's team. It's challenging."

The men's team?

"She can stay in the pack with the men," Putnam explained. "This way she gets pushed."

And pushed is what Dostie wants.