Propelling herself out of her starting position, she breaks into a sprint, building up speed. Eyes on the finish line, she commands her body to utilize all the energy left in her. Not until she hears the crowd erupt into cheers does she know she has not only finished the race but also has won.
Senior Alesha Herman, who is an exceptional track and field athlete, stops at nothing on her path to achieving her goals. Her admirable dedication has helped her become one of the top track and field runners in school history. Holding the school record for the 100m Dash, 200m Dash, and 400m Relay, Herman ranks seventh in the girls top career point scorers.
According to GameTimePA, Herman finished the 2013 season as the Division B athlete of the year and in fifth place for the 200m Dash at states. She has also competed and been a standout participant on the Varsity Field Hockey team and swim team during high school as well as the band in her freshman year.
With all of her accomplishments so far, Herman has high hopes for the upcoming track and field season, which include being in the top five for the 200m Dash at states and medaling in the 400m Relay. In order to reach those goals, Herman recognizes what she will have to do to prepare for a successful season.
“I will need to listen to my coach,” said Herman. “Be mentally strong, and push myself through workouts. I’ve made it so far with a good coach and my determination to get better.”
Many other students and staff members have also identified Herman as an extremely hard worker. Assistant track and field coach and math teacher JC Lewis has recognized Herman’s dedication to the sport throughout high school.
“It’s great coaching her,” said Lewis. “Anytime you get an athlete that is willing to put in the work and the time that can be a lot of fun. She continues to develop and work hard and has become a stronger, faster and a smarter runner, which you can see on the track.”
Lewis also has high hopes for Herman in the upcoming season but notes that she will have to overcome challenges in order to meet her goals.
“She is going to have to keep her training up through the duration of the season,” said Lewis. “A lot of athletes will start to taper their workouts toward the end of the season and counties, so she will need to keep them up during districts to be successful at states. She’ll also have to make sure she stays injury-free because it can be a long season going into late May.”
Senior and 400m relay teammate Destiny Hatcher, who has been apart of the team with Herman since seventh grade, admires Herman’s commitment.
“There’s never a practice where she says she doesn’t feel like it today,” said Hatcher. “She’s always putting in work. As far as teammates, we let each other know when we do something right and when we do something wrong. We want to push each other.”
Herman plans on running at the next level at a Division 1 college, and her impressive achievements have already opened up opportunities for the future. While she has been accepted into multiple colleges, Herman has narrowed her decision down to four, Kansas University, Xavier University, West Virginia University, and the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown.
Besides running track, Herman is also a serious student who will major in Pharmacology, a medical branch dealing with drugs in college. Her top four colleges are all both Division 1 and have favorable pharmaceutical programs. According to Herman, she has been competitive ever since she was in elementary school, so she is eager to see how far she can make it as a sprinter at the college level.
For now, Herman prepares and begins intense training for an outstanding performance in the upcoming track and field season.
