Athlete of the Week: Calegari determined to have breakout year for Titans
Nobody needed to tell Alex Calegari to log some extra miles the summer before her junior year. The Poway High cross country and track star knows exactly how important the next 10 months are to her future as a runner.
“I hope to be able to run in college so I know this is the year that really matters,” she said. “I know for a lot of people their junior season is their breakout year. I am hoping that is me.”
Calegari has done all the preparation she could to make it happen — running around 50 miles a week, eating properly, sleeping enough and, most importantly, staying injury free over the summer.
“I ran more miles than I ever have before,” she said.
Bruce Jackson, who has been coaching the Titans cross country team since 2012, has noticed Calegari’s improvements. That’s why he is expecting a breakout year from his leading runner.
“We expect very big things from Alex,” Jackson said. “Her fitness level is better than any other girl I have ever coached here at Poway at this time of the year.
“Quite honestly, she is capable of winning a league title, competing for a (section) championship and, perhaps, making the podium at state. Those are all good goals for her.”
Calegari kicked off the 2015 cross country season like she was on a mission to accomplish all of those things. The two-time state qualifier in cross country captured the junior/senior Division I Vaqueros Stampede individual title Saturday at Lindo Lake Park in Lakeside.
Calegari crossed the finish line of the 1.65-mile, mostly-flat course in 9 minutes, 18 seconds. That was 19 seconds faster than the second-place finisher. Calegari said she broke away from the pack about 400 meters into the race.
“It was nice to win,” said Calegari, who after a disappointing 18th-place finish in the Palomar League championships last season bounced back to take 11th in the San Diego Section Division II race to qualify for state. “It definitely has given me confidence. I am hoping I can carry the momentum forward.”
Her victory also propelled the Poway girls to the Division I team title at the Vaqueros Stampede. And with the Titans falling short of reaching the state championships last season, one of Calegari’s hopes is they can get back this year.
“We were a bit disappointed last year after not getting to state,” she said. “But this year the spread between our runners coming in is closer together and we have added some great new girls.”
Compared to her freshman campaign of cross country, Calegari saw her times balloon during her sophomore year.
But she said that only gave her more motivation to work harder and by the time track season rolled around she was feeling good again. She ended up placing seventh in the 3,200-meter at the San Diego Section championships.
“I had a great track season and just carried it over into summer,” she said. “I just decided I was going to train really hard and have a great cross country season.”