Dylan Asuncion '25 Recruiting Profile

Ten years ago,  I was once again unwillingly dragged to, what seemed like, my older brother’s 100th soccer practice of the week.  I was essentially a prisoner being driven half an hour away from my home to suffer through what I can only describe as one of the most boring few hours of my week. Feeling restless, I decided to swing on the monkey bars. I casually glanced over at the practice going on and saw the soccer team lining up. When I saw the older boys all geared up, shoulder to shoulder, I thought, “that’s interesting. Where are the soccer balls?” When the team appeared to be poised to run in some type of race, something in me ignited. I quickly ran over to “shoulder- up” with the team. To everyone’s (including my own) surprise, I ran past these boys who were four years my senior and twice my size.  It took only thirty seconds for the epiphany to hit– I am a sprinter!

I began as a three sport athlete. I was a good wrestler and loved soccer, however, nothing compared to sprinting. “Runners take your mark..Set…and the gun...”  It is amazing the mental and physical reaction these words and sounds can have on the mind and body of a competitive runner. It starts with the butterflies, the nerves that manifest from the part of your brain that knows how hard you have worked and doesn’t want to disappoint the team, the coach, your family and yourself. Then you are off and the amount of information that goes through your mind in six seconds is unreal.  “Explosive start, knees up, head up, relax…” and then it's over, and with your heart pounding and breathing labored, you silently remain in your lane and wait for the times to appear on the scoreboard– where one of two outcomes await.  You are either ecstatic or completely disappointed. Regardless, your mind is already on the next training session, the next team practice and the next race.  It’s amazing how much a tenth of a second can rock your world. With complete focus and dedication I train year round for track. I have worked hard to get to prestigious events like the New Balance Nationals and Penn Relays. Seeing the caliber of the athletes at those events motivates me to run better and train harder. Now all of my focus is on track and my academics.  I am proud to receive the scholar athlete award and make the high honor roll every season. 

I  work with a trainer who I admire and aspire to run like. I recently asked him if he ever feared hitting a wall or a peak where there is no more improvement, and he told me that he believes there are so many minute adjustments and small changes to his technique which prevent him from ever hitting a solid wall. He will put in 100% effort for even small gains. This conversation inspired me to be even more determined than ever to become the best sprinter I can be. With this newfound determination and a strong work ethic, I have created goals that I want to achieve for my future. I plan on breaking my high school record in the 55 meter dash and attending nationals again this year. With my love of the sport, my determination, and laser focus I hope to be chosen to run at the college level. I don't want to just be a member of the team, but a valuable asset and a strong  leader.