Victor Paniagua '21 Recruiting Profile

The global pandemic put a halt on what I am most proud of in my high school experience - running. During my junior year, our track and field season was cut short due to COVID-19. I was left with no peers to practice with, no coaches pushing me to the limit, and no end in sight as to when we will be able to run together again. It was devastating to hear we wouldn't be competing any time soon, and it was in my junior year that I started to grow more as a person and as an athlete. Without a doubt, this has been a trying time as a high school athlete, but it has pushed me to train even harder each day since our last race.

My name is Victor Paniagua, and I am an athlete from Imperial High School in Imperial Ca. I first became interested in running in my physical education class during my freshman year. During my physical education class, I would ask my teacher if I could run the entire period and I would. After experiencing the adrenaline rushing through my body as I was running, I felt that I was unstoppable. This feeling truly made me feel happy and determined to be the best runner I could be. Eventually, this led me to join my school’s track and field team and cross country team. I participated in many cross country and track events with my school. We had many great successes as well as many events where we learned from our mistakes. Participating with my school team taught me many valuable lessons as a team player as well as an individual athlete.  What I’ve learned about myself throughout the sport is that I’m a team player; I enjoy challenges; I’m persistent, I’m determined; and I’m ready for anything that is put upon my path. 

One of the obstacles I’ve had to overcome was when I injured my ankle during my first track and field race. This prevented me from running an entire month. I quickly learned the value of being part of a team who supported me even when I couldn’t join practice. Throughout my three years of participating in the sport, I have also learned the values of teamwork, commitment, sacrifice and failure. I believe these values played a big role during my first track and field race when I injured my ankle, and these values have made me a better athlete than before. It can be intimidating to look at other competitors who look stronger and faster, but it has tested my ability to keep an open mind and give running all I have. The mind is a very powerful tool and can play tricks on an athlete, but it is also a tool that when utilized to its fullest potential we can accomplish many great things in life. Upon recovering from my injury I put these values into play and I dramatically improved my running performance. 

Running is very important to me, and equally important is my academic goal. My academic goals for High School is to graduate with honors and maintain a high grade point average, as well as rank in the top 20 in my class. I want to graduate with honors from High School because I want to differentiate myself from other students and to be the best of the best, in addition to competing with the best runners in the United States. Similarly, my academic goals for college are also to maintain a high grade point average and to compete with the best colleges in the country. 

Finally, I'm searching for a program that will be a good fit for me athletically and academically. I truly believe I not only possess the talent to compete for any college team, but my character, work ethic, love for the sport, and my commitment will make a positive impact on the program. 

Thank you.