By MARK MOLINA, Staff Writer
Getting to run at the collegiate level is an experience on its own, but sharing that experience with a high school teammate is rare.
That’s exactly the situation Pace runners Michelle Reyes and Gabriela Olivares find themselves in after inking scholarship letters to run with the William Penn University Statesmen on Friday afternoon at Pace High School.
When paired with the desire to grow as athletes at the next level, running together at William Penn was just too much to pass up.
“Aside from (William Penn) offering me a scholarship, I was going to go with a friend. I wanted to be with one person that I knew and she has a chance to be my roommate,” said Olivares, who will run sprints and relays. “I’m excited to continue in college because it’s a sport I’ve done all my life and I’m excited to see what new experiences I’ll be getting at a different level.”
For Reyes, who will run cross country in addition to track, William Penn was the whole package because it included both a friend and an opportunity.
“I’ve always wanted to run in college. It’s a great chance for me to be where I want to be when I’m older,” Reyes said. “And (having a friend) will help me a lot. We’ll both be interacting and helping each other out. I won’t be that lonely.
“It’s a better experience with my teammate beside me.”
Reyes will study biology, while Olivares will look to study sports medicine. Pace head track and field coach Sergio Sandoval said his athletes signing on with William Penn is a big step for the program.
“It means that our program is working because our main goal isn’t to send them to run, it’s to get them an education,” Sandoval said. “For me, it’s like a dream come true because I have coached them since they were little. For them, it’s better than winning a district title because they are going to continue what they love at the next level.”
Reyes and Olivares will look to add a spark to an NAIA-level Statesmen women’s track and field program that finished 12th at the Heart of America Athletic Conference Track and Field Championships in early May.
Reyes also will look to help the cross country team, which finished 13th at the conference meet last fall.
According to Sandoval, Reyes’ current cross country time will be a top-five mark when compared with the William Penn times from this past season, while her 800-meter run time would have been the best on the track and field team.
Olivares’ relay and 100-meter dash times also are on par with what the Statesman currently ran this past spring.
Both, however, are looking to improve.
“My priority will be training because things are done differently there,” Olivares said. “They will be working with me to see if I have potential or not.”
“The Experience is going to help me a lot and improve me as a runner,” Reyes added. “Some of my times are some of the highest and if I really try my best, I can help improve what they have there now.”