Student Athlete Spotlight: Ariana Garcia
Ariana Garcia is a sophomore athlete on the Women’s Cross Country and Track teams. Boasting impressive PRs for the 4k at 15:38.5, the 5k at 19:11.8 and the 6k at 24:24.1. She is most prominent in the 800m race, as she is the top qualifier at UA Little Rock with a PR of 2:20.16. Not only is she a powerful athlete, but she also has a strong influence on the team and a positive attitude that makes running more enjoyable for everyone.
Before coming to UA Little Rock, Garcia was a three-time letterer at her high school in Fort Worth, Texas, Chisholm Trail, where she holds the program record for the half mile at 2:25.9. She was also a two-time regional qualifier for the 800m and the 4x400m relay, a race in which she also holds a place in the program’s record.
Garcia did not start running until her sophomore year of high school, but has come to love it since then.
“I started running track sophomore year, which led to cross country my junior year,” Garcia said. “I started running to fill my time and stay out of trouble. Originally [that was through basketball], but running was much better.”
Even though Garcia was late to start running distance, she soon found her place in the sport.
“I unexpectedly made it to regionals my sophomore year, and I realized I could actually do this,” Garcia said. “I started connecting with coaches at the beginning of my senior year, when I knew I could go to college for running, but after my visit here, I knew this is where I wanted to go.”
Cross country allows Garcia to focus on running and relax.
“My favorite part is the burn in my legs,” Garcia said. “Although it can definitely suck, it distracts me from everything else going on in my busy life. Plus, it always puts me in a better mood afterwards.”
Another part of cross country Garcia appreciates is the team aspect.
“The best part of running here so far is running with friends,” Garcia said. “My high school team was not close as friends. Here seeing your friends early in the morning for workouts only makes [running] better. It’s nice to have people push you because they want to see you do better instead of only caring for themselves. Even though running is an ‘individual’ sport, I have never felt alone in my wins or losses and I love that.”
Garcia is looking forward to the rest of the season with two meets down and many more to go. If anyone is interested in attending the UA Little Rock home meet, it will be held at War Memorial Park Oct. 17 at 10:15 am for women, and 11 for men.