Twenty-four hours was all it took to commit to college and win the state cross-country race.
Senior Caroline Alcorta put on her Carolina Blue, signifying her commitment to UNC Chapel Hill’s running program Thursday, before claiming the state championship on Friday morning.
Alcorta, who won both the Conference and Regional titles this fall, was heavily favored to win States. She exceeded expectations, finishing 40 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher. Although her personal victory was a great one, Alcorta wishes her team could’ve made it in the top three, too.
“The goal has always been the same: Make it on the podium as a team, but going for it as an individual is new,” said Alcorta.
Even though the team did not place in the top three, they placed fifth in the state, which is nothing to scoff at. Alcorta’s day of victories can be credited to her hard work and commitment, along with the assistance of her team members and training with the Cross Country coaches here at WS.
“Our program offers 40-45 miles a week for our lead athletes,” said Head Cross Country Coach Chris Pellegrini. “It’s not a very high mileage program; quality over quantity.”
The training ended up being the perfect amount, helping Alcorta achieve her 5K time of 17:10 (around 5:30 pace per mile), a state and course record. Physical training is a key component when it comes to sports, but for some athletes, being mentally prepared is necessary too.
“With [Caroline] specifically, it’s a lot more about the mental aspect, with her staying relaxed,” said Pellegrini. “She competes a lot better when she’s relaxed rather than when she’s stressed.”
Clearly Alcorta has done a good job staying relaxed, as she is undefeated this season, winning all eight of the races she has competed in this fall.
The races haven’t gone unnoticed, drawing attention from prestigious universities such as Georgetown, University of Virginia, and University of North Carolina and even Stanford.
Thursday, November 16, Alcorta made the final decision, committing to UNC to run on the team in the fall of 2014.
“It was a really good fit. I liked the people and the campus was really pretty,” said Alcorta. “I [also] liked the team, and I wanted to go somewhere where I felt like I could help.”
As for Nationals and the rest of this season, Alcorta has her goals set high.
“Hopefully [I’ll] win Foot Locker South and break 17 [minutes] on my 5k, and after that, make it to the top 10 for finals.”