Alexandra Howerton '18 Recruiting Profile

I thrive by defying expectations. As a freshmen, new to the sport of track and field, no one expected much from me. Instead of confirming their beliefs about my abilities, I worked hard every day in and after practice, and was the first freshmen at my school to ever go to state. I run because I love feeling fast and alive, crossing the finish line with everything I have to prove to myself that I CAN and I WILL, no matter what stands against me. To me, track and field means overcoming impossible odds through the unconditional support from family members, teammates, and coaches. I can't wait to hopefully win districts and state these next two years as I continue to improve in the 100, 200, 4x100 and 4x200, but mainly the 300 hurdles and the 4x400 relay. I am currently ranked number 1 in the regional kingco conference for the 300 hurdles. The immense support I've received from other athletes in this sport is unrivaled by anything I've experienced before. So far in my high school career, I have been awarded Rookie of the Year and Most Improved as a freshmen, Most inspirational and MVP as a sophomore, and recently, MVP of Cross Country in the fall of 2016, as a current junior. My favorite thing about my story is that it is constantly evolving as my skills improve, and I meet new people. It is a story of harship, triumph, and most of all, learning to accept myself and push myself. My faith also helps me run and stay mentally strong. Track and field has taught me to be physically,  and mentally strong. I have learned to be a leader through receiving encouragement and in turn encouraging others, whether that means calming my relay team down before the state meet, or screaming until my voice is hoarse as a teammate rounds the last curve in the 4x400 relay. At my school, I was the first freshmen athlete to go to state, and in my sophomore year, through my encouragement, two more freshmen made it to state on our relay team. I am an outstanding candidate for collegiate track and field because I am humble and coachable. I always put the team first and work as hard as possible at all practices and meets to listen to my coaches and improve my running. This past year, I PR-ed in almost every event during the course of the season. I know I will improve even more as I continue to train during the off-season and start weight training, and through attending the UW track camp this January-February before the season. I've had a great start so far, but I'm nowhere near done. I have a 3.8 GPA, took AP World History and Algebra 2/ Trig as a sophomore, and am taking AP U.S. History and AP Language/Composition this year. This year, I've recently started participation in Model United Nations Club, Student Council, and the LGBT+ Unity Club at my school. The experience of having a younger brother with HIV who was adopted from South Africa has made me more aware of international epidemics and has given me an international perspective on issues such as the devastating stigma that exists in our world today. I've had the privilege of traveling to South Africa, Israel, and Chile these past several years, which has greatly opened my eyes to the need for humanitarian work globally. I hope to pursue this passion in college by majoring in international studies, and hopefully by traveling abroad. A school that gives me the freedom to pursue this AND track is ideal. Whatever comes next, I know I'll be ready for it and am beyond thrilled to have the chance to be a student-athlete. Thank you so much for viewing my profile.