Alexandra Zavala '20 Recruiting Profile

My name is Alexandra Zavala, my story with running begins in 6th grade when I joined the cross country team because I had nothing better to do. At the time, I did not know running would be something that I would really enjoy or something that would end up teaching me a lot about myself. Throughout middle school I ran cross country with my school and did Junior Olympics with my club team. This gave me my first understanding of competitive running and set the stage for what I was about to experience as a high school athlete. By the end of my sophomore year, I was feeling rather burnt out from cross country and I had struggled with an injury that put me out for a good portion of track season. As a result, I decided to give my legs a rest and join the swim team. I went into my junior track season with fresh legs and a fresh mind and finished with a medal in the 400m, which was very important to me personally. 

The most important thing being a student athlete has taught me is the importance of responsibility. I understand that I am a student before anything else. I understand that I cannot skip practice because that would be cheating my teammates and myself. And I acknowledge that setting a good example is what builds a team. I have learned to become a leader as I have matured and grown as an athlete and upperclassmen. I have confidence in this because I have been active in recruiting students for track who would have not gone out otherwise. Along with this, I have built strong friendships and team relationships with many people I have encountered in sport. 

My strongest trait as an athlete and as a person is my resilience. Injury has never stopped me from achieving my goals. Two of my track seasons were spent fighting injury and in the end, I won. I will not stop working in the classroom or on the track even when I am physically or mentally tired.

Over the course of high school, I have been part of state championship teams in cross country and track and have received state medals in both individual and relay events.   

Running in college has been a goal of mine for some time now. In college, I will be studying something that I am passionate about. And I want to accompany my studies with something I love to do, which is to run. I look forward to the chance to compete at a higher level and experience what I have only heard from athletes who are now collegiate athletes. Now it is my turn.