Niwot Senior Sports Spotlight: Girls Track

We asked the departing seniors of the girls track team to reflect on their time at Niwot and share their post-graduation plans.

Samrawit Dishon, Distance

What are your plans after graduation?

I plan to attend the University of New Mexico and major in Psychology.

Before it was canceled, what were you looking forward to most about the 2020 season

I was looking forward to doing a lot of big things with my teammates.

What is your favorite memory or what do you consider a career highlight from your time on the Niwot track team?

I think a lot of the moments with the Niwot track team are huge highlights. It's just an incredible group of people and there isn't a day that goes by where I'm not shocked by someone's show of grit.

What advice do you have for incoming freshmen?

I would say, don't take anything for granted. You never know if it's the last time you get to be a part of it. So, take it day by day and love it day by day.

Jazmin Ferrer

What are your plans after graduation?

My plan after graduation is to attend Front Range Community College and become certified as an EMT.

Before it was canceled, what were you looking forward to most about the 2020 season

One thing I was looking forward to was to rock the boat for 4x4 relays and for the girls and boys team to win another state champion title.

What is your favorite memory or what do you consider a career highlight from your time on the Niwot track team?

Favorite memory from my time on the Niwot track team is when both the girls and boys won BoCo and State Champs 2019.

What advice do you have for incoming freshmen?

My advice for freshmen is to show up every day and stretch after practice.

Elise Gillett, Hurdles

What are your plans after graduation?

Next year I will be attending CU Boulder to run Track and Field. I'm not sure what I want to study yet, but I have interest in integrative physiology, as well as communications. At CU I will be competing in the multis, the heptathlon and pentathlon, which is a combination of the sprints, jumps, and hurdles. I'm very excited to start my collegiate career in this new event because there are so many areas for potential improvements.

Before it was canceled, what were you looking forward to most about the 2020 season

I was looking forward to so many things this year. I had some pretty big goals set, both individually and as a team. I was looking forward to racing at BOCO, Twilight Stutler, St. Vrain (some of my all-time favorite track meets), and especially the State meet. I was really looking forward to competing in a heptathlon at Great Southwest and trying that event out one more time in high school. I was looking forward to seeing the results from the off season, running some PR's and attempting to break my school records in the hurdles. I wanted to win state in the 100 hurdles and in the 4x1. I wanted the Niwot girls to sweep the 300 hurdles by taking 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. I also hoped to have another year with a state championship on the boys and girls side. But outside of all these goals, I was really just looking forward to spending time with my team and enjoying my senior year. While it might not sound appealing to some people, I loved spending all day on Saturdays at random track in Colorado racing with my team. I was looking forward to the bus ride home after a long meet day, the early morning practices on the weekend, and even our long team meetings in the weight room. I was looking forward to all the little moments with my friends, coaches, and Niwot track family for one last season.

What is your favorite memory or what do you consider a career highlight from your time on the Niwot track team?

Winning state on the boys and girls side last year was an obvious career highlight. When it came time for the boys 4x4, the girls had already won, but we weren't celebrating just yet because that wasn't the goal. We wanted the title for the boys just as much as we did for ourselves. We all lined up around the track, burning in anticipation because it all came down to the 4x4. I have never cheered more for my team in my life. I can remember us all lined up and down the fence, all screaming together for Niwot. And when our boys finally crossed the finish line in first, I absolutely lost my mind. I slammed all my teammates with huge hugs and celebrated with my coaches. We all had that goal set in our minds for months and to finally see it come into fruition is honestly such a special experience. Everyone involved in our Niwot track family could feel that special energy in the air. I've never been more proud to be wearing a Niwot uniform than I was on that day.

What advice do you have for incoming freshmen?

The most important piece of advice that I would give to any incoming freshman is that consistency is key. One of my favorite things about track and field is that just about anyone can be good if they're willing to do the work. When I was a freshman, I honestly had no idea where this journey would take me. My times were nothing special, I wasn't very fast, but my coaches kept telling me that if I was consistent and kept working hard, I would see results. Learning to trust your coaches can be a really difficult lesson to learn, but if you can trust the process and work through those difficult off seasons, the results will come. It takes lots of time, hard work, and trust to be consistent, but if you can achieve that, any goal you set is possible.

Joelle McDonald, Distance

What are your plans after graduation?

I will be attending CU Boulder to run Cross Country and Track and Field. I am also in the President's Leadership Class and plan to major in Economics.

Before it was canceled, what were you looking forward to most about the 2020 season

I was most looking forward to the state meet. It is such a special time for the team to unite and watch events that we normally don't get to see at meets because we are either warming up or cooling down.

What is your favorite memory or what do you consider a career highlight from your time on the Niwot track team?

My favorite memory from track was at state last year when the boys 4x400 won, securing the team title for them. We were all screaming and hugging random people.

What advice do you have for incoming freshmen?

Trust the process and the coaches. In track, like most sports, you get out what you put in. Be there physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally, and don't take any opportunity for granted.

Mary McLean, Distance

What are your plans after graduation?

I plan to attend CU-Boulder to study International Affairs and Spanish. I also plan to keep running and hiking.

Before it was canceled, what were you looking forward to most about the 2020 season?

I was most looking forward to getting faster and running the mile. That's my favorite race and I feel like it is the best display of my athletic ability.

What is your favorite memory or what do you consider a career highlight from your time on the Niwot track team?

Any time that Niwot won a meet and everyone got to go out and take a picture with the trophy is a favorite memory of mine. It always made me feel so proud to be on such a successful team with such amazing teammates.

What advice do you have for incoming freshmen?

My advice would be to work as hard as you can and stick with it. No matter what happens, if you tried your hardest, you did well. Also, wear sweatpants on your first day of track practice!

Kelia Aroura Portis, Hurdles/Jumps

What are your plans after graduation?

After graduation I'm going to be attending Western Colorado University and hurdling on their track and field team.

Before it was canceled, what were you looking forward to most about the 2020 season

Before the season canceled I looking forward to redeeming myself. I didn't have the best season last year and I wanted to show everyone what I really had in stock.

What is your favorite memory or what do you consider a career highlight from your time on the Niwot track team?

My favorite memory was during my sophomore year when I began hurdling and was finally able to go over the hurdles with correct form.

What advice do you have for incoming freshmen?

The advice I would give incoming freshmen is don't let self doubt and other athletes' egos get in the way of your success.

Julea Trank-Greene, Sprints

What are your plans after graduation?

I am going to CU Boulder next fall and I will be studying Business and Finance. I am planning on trying out for the track team at CU.

Before it was canceled, what were you looking forward to most about the 2020 season

My favorite part of track season is running relays, and I was super pumped for relays this year! We had a couple of really strong relays that were bound to break school records and meet records. I was looking forward to seeing my teammates compete. Everyone on the Niwot Track team has been working tirelessly since summer 2019, and the potential for success this year was insane.

What is your favorite memory or what do you consider a career highlight from your time on the Niwot track team?

The most memorable moment of my track and field career was during the Boys 4A 4x400 finals at the 2019 State Championships. This will always be the most memorable moment for me because at that point, through all the pain of training, we finally reached our goal of winning team titles on both the boys and girls teams.

What advice do you have for incoming freshmen?

The biggest piece of advice I would give to younger athletes is to trust the process. Track and Field is grueling and requires a great deal of patience. If any of the new athletes saw me as a freshman, they would be astounded at how slow I was. Although at times I felt hopeless because I was not seeing any improvements, I remained patient and finally started seeing results. What I try to remind the younger athletes on my team is that although it can be easy to compare yourself to the top athletes on the team, we all started somewhere and learned to trust the process. As it goes for school, I advise incoming freshmen to get involved! Whether that is in your community, sports team, school clubs, getting involved is the best way to enjoy the high school experience. The connections that you make with your classmates, teammates, teachers, and community are vital for your future and will make your experience that much better. As it goes for school, I advise incoming freshmen to get involved! Whether that is in your community, sports team, school clubs, getting involved is the best way to enjoy the high school experience. The connections that you make with your classmates, teammates, teachers, and community are vital for your future and will make your experience that much better.