Week of October 1-6, 2007
Sierra Vega (Chaparral, Temecula) SS


photo by Donal Pearce
Sierra Vega (Chaparral) talks after her blazing Inland
Empire Win

One of the state's biggest improvers from one season to the next is purring through a series of impressive runs in the Inland Empire area of the Southern Section.  Sierra Vega (Chaparral HS in Temecula) is a part of the very competitive Southewestern League and had a fine 2005-2006 year of running, finishing her frosh year with an 11:36.89 3200 in her League Finals in track.  Since that time she has stepped it up mightily, racing to impressive wins in her league cluster affairs, with Invitational wins at the grade level at Mt. Carmel, a Course Record run at the Hemet Bulldog Meet, and impressive Inland Empire run this past weekend where she lowered Liza Pisciuto's soph class record of 17:56.1 with a 17:15.0 grade win, coming close to the Prep and eventual NCAA All-American Liza's overall CR of 17:10.7 achieved the Murrita Valley star's senior year.  Sierra's time at the Inland Empire Meet in 2006 was 19:52, as she obvioiusly has raced past a ton of folks in the last year of training and racing.  The Chaparral star took some time out from her schedule to answer some questions for us as our DyeStatCal State Athlete of the Week.       

DyeStatCal - What has been your reaction to the success that you have achieved so far this fall?
Sierra Vega - My reaction to my fall success was excited and yet terrifying because the girls I compete with are so talented.

DSC - Your series of races in the last few weeks has been very impressive, including a soph class win at the Mt. Carmel Invite in San Diego, 40 second League meet win, Course Record run at the Hemet Bulldog Meet, and 41 sec soph class record while coming within 5 seconds of Lisa Pasciuto's Course Record at the Inland Empire Meet this past weekend. We have you running 11:36 during the spring track season last year for 3200 meters. What reasons do you think there are for your zooming past so many good runners since that time?
SV - My summer training has definitely given me that push. The last cross country season I had no real training before the season began so having a base before this season really improved my endurance.

DSC - About how much running per day did you do during the summer?
SV - During the summer we ran anywhere from 6-12 miles a day.

DSC - What has been your mileage per day and roughly per week since school started in August/September?
SV - Since school started we have ran about 10+ miles a day and about 50 miles a week.

DSC - What other sports activities have you been involved in while growing up?
SV - I have been involved in club soccer for three years. I played for Southwest Soccer Club and currently play for FC Murrieta.

DSC - What attracted you to and continued your interest in running?
SV - What attracted me to running was my parents. My parents were both runners in high school and I wanted to be just like them. I continued to run because I wanted to be just as good as my mom.

DSC - What is your favorite kind of workout that you think prepares you best for a challenging 5k cross country race?
SV - My favorite kind of workout is Fartlek intervals because I have the opportunity to work on maintaing and changing my pace over a course of miles just like I do in a race.

DSC - What are some of your goals for the Fall season, and have you had to reassess some of them off of how the season has gone so far?
SV - My goals for the season and the rest of my high school career are to get Chaparral as far as we can and to hopefully qualify for the State Meet.

DSC - Any other members of your family involved seriously in sports, including your parents?
SV - My parents were both CIF runners in high school so they are my inspiration and have some good experience and advice come time for a big meet. My sisters both play club soccer one for the Hawks and the other for Temecula United.

DSC - You certainly have moved ahead of some runners who probably defeated you last year. What went through your mind as you have moved up and past some of them in a meet such as your Southwestern League cluster meet in late September?
SV - What went through my mind during the race? Well I just kept thinking to myself..."I have worked so hard this summer and I did not run two mile intervals over and over and over again just to come out and not do my very best."

DSC - What advice would you have for someone who is just starting out in Cross-Country and has found it as an activity that they enjoy, yet have not enjoyed a great deal of success early on as an inexperienced first year athlete?
SV - My advice to new runners would be to not get discouraged, cross country requires patience, practice, and a lot of ten mile runs. Once you have trained and built up your base, your speed will find you.

DSC - With any spare time, outside of running and studying, what might we find you doing?
SV - In my spare time I love hanging out with my friends.

DSC - What is or are your favorite store(s) to shop at if you have any extra money?
SV - I am not much of a shopper so any extra money I have I usually go to Jamba Juice..they know me by name.

DSC - Favorite TV show, if any?
SV - My favorite TV show is Grey's Anatomy.

DSC - Last movie you saw at the show or video you or someone rented and you watched?
SV - The last movie I saw was A Diary of a Mad Black Woman.

DSC - Last book you read?
SV - The last book I read was Cyrano de Bergerac.

DSC - Hero(s) in sports or life that motivate you?
SV - My Aunt Lisa is my hero. She inspired me to live each day to the fullest and without regrets because you only live once. She taught me that if you have faith in yourself then anything is possible you just have to "always believe".

DSC - Favorite class in school?
SV - My favorite class is AP European History.

DSC - If you could travel anywhere in the world where would it be?
SV - . If I could go anywhere in the world I would go to Europe.

DSC - in fifteen years we will find you----------
SV - In fifteen years I will hopefully be teaching US history and running marathons and beginning my family.

Thanks - Best of Luck
Doug Speck
DyeStatCal 

 

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