Question 1: what made you want to continue your XC /half marathon career with swcc?
Ever since I started participating in my high school's cross-country team, I knew I wanted to compete at the college level. When it came to my senior year, I found SWCC to be the best place to start my college education and running for their cross-country program was an easy choice for me as I was already familiar with the coach and my teammates.
Question 2: what accomplishment are you most proud of?
2. The accomplishment I am most proud of is winning the NJCAA Region 10 Cross-Country Championship race in 2022. It was a race that I've spent most of that year training for as I wanted to set a new personal record for my 8k time, and I was able to do that and finish above everyone else in Division I, II, and III in that race. This race helped me gain the title for "Runner of the Year" for Region 10.
Question 3: are you planning on continuing your career at a 4-year school? If so where?
3. I am planning on transferring to Virginia Tech and participating in their club Cross-Country and Track and Field teams. It is not their NCAA team, but I am very excited to compete with other student-athletes in VT and at other colleges, as further improve my running skills.
Question 4: what is your secret to success?
4. My secret to success is consistency. I do my best to live a disciplined lifestyle as I take time out of every weekday to run, even when I may not want to. It may be early mornings or late evenings, but when I do the hard work and put those miles in, they help me gain the confidence I need for those races.
Question 5: what are some words of wisdom you would give to someone wanting to run in college?
5. For anyone wanting to run in college, I want to encourage them to have fun! When I was in high school, there were many times where I'd be too stressed out over minuscule details during meets, and that brought down my confidence while I was running. If you are a junior or senior in high school, you might also stress out over small details, as well, but remember that whatever your future may hold, give every race your all and run every time like it's your last!
Extra comment: I'd like to thank my coach, Tammy O'Quinn for dedicating her time to this team and giving me everything I needed to succeed during my time at Southwest.