Izaiah Bustamante '24 Recruiting Profile

I have been playing sports since I was 4 years old. As I got older I grew more and more competitive. I am currently a three sports athlete: soccer, football, and track. My main focus and newfound passion is a track.  In playing all three sports I have learned that it takes discipline, hard work, dedication, and teamwork to be a successful athlete.  My friendly and outgoing personality has helped me communicate well with my teammates and be a coachable athlete. Being a competitive athlete I have faced successes as well as failures and obstacles.

Last year was a successful year for me.  I joined track in my junior year with a little push from my football coach. If  I'm being honest I was not too excited, but I knew it would improve my skills as an athlete all around. I was nervous since it was my first year out and thought  I would be way behind my teammate's who have been training all year. Fortunately, I had a lot of encouragement and support from coaches, friends, and family. I ran three races in my first meet and I ended up breaking the school record and set a new one for the 400m in 54 seconds. I was proud and extremely motivated especially because it was my first meet. Throughout the season, I strived to beat my time in each race. Running the  400m in 50.7 seconds earned me a spot in the state competition. At the end of the season, I received an award for the most valuable player, which was a huge honor and accomplishment. My failures I would describe as the days where I would run hard and fast but realized I could have pushed myself a little bit harder. Those times were disappointing but those were the days that pushed me to work harder, get stronger, and train more. I knew facing adversity would lead me to future success. I think the hardest obstacle that I had to face this year was when I separated my AC joint. It set me back and took 6 months to recover. When I recovered and started training again it felt amazing, and  I realized I needed to do whatever it took to be an athlete at the college level.

Going into my senior year I still plan to play football and soccer because it helps me be a better runner by improving endurance, strength, and stamina. My goal for this year is to beat my record and find a college I can run for. Another goal will be to continue to be an honor roll student because I value academics as much as I do sports. Not only do my personal record and school records motivate me but my parents motivate me as well. My parents have been there to support me whether it was my best race or my worst race. I know I couldn't do this without their love, support, and encouragement. I am the athlete I am today because of them. As I continue to grow into a young adult and a stronger athlete, I want to make sure I am doing what I can to push myself to be where I want to be. I know my parents are proud of me for the young man and athlete I have become but I want them to be even more proud when I become a runner in college.

As far as college I  want to run for a competitive team that will push me to be the best athlete I can be as well as support me academically in being the best student I can be in the class. I plan to major in business and obtain a bachelor's degree. I hope to find a college that will help me succeed.