Jolie Caya '20 Recruiting Profile

         I've always had a competitive spirit. I vividly remember racing against the boys in my kindergarten class during recess. It was then that I came to know both my love of running and my love of winning. My competitive athletic career started in gymnastics when I was 6 years old. Being a part of a team was very influential on my development as a person and as an athlete and it has led me to where I am today. It was a joy to share my dreams with my teammates and working together to reach our full potential. Gymnastics also taught me to be mentally strong and to face my fears, and I learned that I needed to be persistent, consistent, and determined to accomplish my goals. 

          In 6^th grade, I discovered track and field through middle school sports.  I knew I had found my passion.  Running made me push my limits every time I got on the track, and I loved the thrill and the challenge it brought me.  Now as I junior, I am on a track team that is amazing beyond words.  My teammates and I support each other in our individual events and our team goals.  I willingly invest the time and energy to run faster, hurdle better, and jump further.  I also run all of the relays. Finding the balance between academics and athletics has taken both trial and error for me to figure out. Fortunately, I can now confidently say that it is a skill that I possess. 

As a collegiate student athlete, I will strive to keep that balance between academics and athletics. I am very excited about the learning opportunities that college will offer.  I also look forward to the challenge of improving my skills on the track and contributing to my team’s efforts.  It will not be easy but I see hard work for so much more than just accomplishing a task but rather view it as part of the process in making my dreams come true.