Alissa Fielding was one of 3 Utah Girls to qualify for a National XC race this season. She placed 9th in the West Region which qualified her to run against the best in the country. After her appearance at Nationals, Fiedling ran with more confidence and looked better and better every time she ran. She managed to grab new PRs in the 800m (2:10.60), 1600m (4:57.35), and 3200m (10:57.89)
Want to be out next Senior Salute? Find out How!
What was your most memorable race/throw/jump/vault/moment?
My most memorable race is the cross country state meet this past year because that was the first big race I had won individually and it gave me confidence that I could compete with other amazing athletes.
Who would you consider your biggest competition over your four years?
It is hard to pick who my biggest competition was over the past couple of years because every year and every season it was someone different.
What was your greatest accomplishment?
I think my greatest accomplishment was qualifying for Footlocker Nationals for xc. Because of that, I was more determined this track season to keep improving, and I was able to improve this last track season more than I thought I would be able to.
If you could do it all over again what would you change about your running career in high school?
If I could go back and change something, I would have started cross country as a freshman. I didn't start until I was a sophomore because I was still in the jr. high school freshman year, and I didn't know much about xc. I also would have started training for track with the high school as a freshman instead of training with the jr. high.
What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
One of the biggest obstacles I've had to overcome this past year is breaking mental barriers. I have always been a pretty strong person mentally, but as I was leaving to the airport for Footlocker Nationals, I had found out that a close relative had passed away. I was not in a good mental state to race 2 days later. That race was the hardest race I have ever done and I didn't perform well at all. Coming into track season, I was terrified and was scared I wouldn't be able to get back into my strong mental state and perform to my very best, but as the season progressed, I was able to steadily regain my confidence in racing and regain my strong mentality.
What will you miss the most?
he thing I will miss the most is my team. I have made some of the closest friendships with my teammates, and they are honestly my second family. They have helped me get through high school and running so much. And my coach is the most amazing person out there. I would not have gotten where I am now without my team and my coach.
What advice would you give to younger athletes?
The best advise I have to give to younger athletes is use your not-so-good days as motivation to make good days. If you have a rough workout or race, yes that is frustrating, however, it's apart of running. So instead of letting those rough days or moments get to you, make yourself stronger from them.
What influence has your coach had with respect to your performance and overall life goals?
My coach is one of the biggest reasons I have reached the level of running that I have. He believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. He worked me harder than I thought I could work myself. Every year, he had us make an easy goal, a goal we could reach but would require hard work, and a seemingly impossible goal that would be nice to reach. Because of my coach, I reached every impossible goal I made and accomplished more than I thought I could. I am eternally grateful for him.
What are your college plans?
For my college plans, I will be running for the cross country and track teams at Brigham Young University this coming fall.
Who would you like to say 'thank you' to?
I need to give a shout out to the sassy red head, Allie Warner, who I have been friends with since 1st grade. She first introduced me to running in 4th grade when she took me to run in the Hershey Track Meet with her. And she has been dragging me out onto the track since then. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have even started running. I also need to give a shout out to my parents. They have only missed a couple of my races. Other than that, they have been to every single one since jr. high and all the way through high school. They are so supportive of me and I'm so grateful for that.
