By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer
SANTA MARIA — Kristen Aleman had an illustrious career as a distance runner at Santa Maria, and now she’s reaping the rewards for her hard work.
Aleman signed to compete in cross country and track & field for Texas A&M University-Kingsville on Wednesday morning at the high school gym. Family, friends, coaches and school administration — all wearing masks in accordance with COVID-19 safety guidelines — were on hand to celebrate her achievement. Principal Jose Vela said Aleman is the first Santa Maria student athlete to receive an athletic scholarship in at least five years.
“It’s nerve-wracking right now because everything’s happening so fast, but I’m so blessed to have this opportunity and I’m excited to go and compete,” Aleman said. “It’s just a blessed feeling because everybody’s always been behind me and supporting me, and making them proud and putting Santa Maria on the map is just really rewarding.”
Aleman is a two-time UIL state meet qualifier in cross country and track & field. In 2017, she finished fourth at the state track & field meet in the 800-meter run, and later that year she took bronze at the state cross country meet. She won the District 32-2A cross country championship as a senior, going out on top just like she started.
Running is a year-round commitment for Aleman, who began training toward this goal when she was in junior high. Along with competing for the Lady Cougars, she does summer track with coaches Ivan Gonzalez and Gloria Guerrier from the Border Track Club based out of Progreso.
The club practices Monday through Thursday and competes in meets across the Rio Grande Valley on Fridays throughout the summer. Gonzalez and Guerrier spoke glowingly of Aleman’s dedication to training and said her journey and accomplishments have made her someone the young members of the club look up to.
“Kristen came to us early in her junior high years and she did really well. We saw her potential right away. We knew she was special,” Gonzalez said. “She’s very determined and committed. Running is a difficult sport. You have to have self-discipline and she had that, from eating right to making sure she stretched and did her workouts correctly. She put the time in and now it’s paying off.”
Guerrier added: “She’s a very coachable athlete. Regardless of who she’s working with, she’s going to be dedicated and put in the work that’s necessary. She’s definitely a role model for the kids, and we’re very proud of this moment because it goes down the program to the little ones that see what she’s done and say, ‘I can do that, too.’”
Santa Maria cross country and girls track & field coach Sonia White echoed those sentiments, saying the success Aleman earned with the Lady Cougars will show kids in the small community what hard work will get them. White’s assistant and long-time running coach, Juan Silva, couldn’t attend the ceremony, but Aleman and others credited him with helping her reach this milestone.
“She wanted to put in the miles, and wanted to be committed to her sport and was always willing to do extra,” White said. “To be able to have a student-athlete like that is great. I know she’s going to be like that at the next level, too, because she’s very committed to what she does.”
Aleman will study kinesiology while competing for the Javelinas. As she moves on to a new chapter in life, she’s thankful for the support her community gave her and is ready to keep pushing toward her goals.
“(My time at Santa Maria) has been really memorable, because everybody here supports me and it makes the experience better,” Aleman said. “I’ve put in a lot of work, and ever since I started my coaches have been pushing me hard so I can be at the top. (I learned to) never give up and anything’s possible if you work hard and dedicate yourself.”