Photo by Daniel Zuniga
Albuquerque, New Mexico- We have a ton of talent in New Mexico, and each week we want to highlight a couple of athletes to build on the already strong community that we have, here in the Land of Enchantment.
Our New Mexico Athlete Spotlight series is sponsored by New Mexico Supreme Hoops: NM Supreme Sports LLC offers training, skill development, club basketball and sports events. They are also the Annual Northern Supreme Showdown basketball tournament host. Thank you, to New Mexico Supreme Hoops for supporting our page, and New Mexico athletes.
Next, in our series, we spotlighted ABQ Academy runner Anna Hastings, one of the best distance runners in the state. She has also committed to run for Brown University. Here are the questions we asked her…
Q: What events do you compete in?
A: Mainly the 3200m, 1600m, and 800m, but occasionally a 400m as well.
Q: What got you involved in track & field?
A: I’ve played lots of sports since I was a kid, but none of them really stuck. I tried out for the cross country and track teams in 8th grade and pretty much immediately loved the sport and the community.
Q: Any favorite memories during your high school career?
A: It’s hard to pick because there are so many. This year during cross country we got to spend the night in Las Cruces for a meet there and that was a lot of fun. One time, our bus broke down on the way back from Zuni, and, although it was kind of brutal at the time, I remember the experience very fondly. Really just running with my best friends every day is so much fun.
Q: Do you have a ritual or routine before you compete?
A: I always eat pasta the night before, but on the day of I don’t really do anything special.
Q: What are some of your goals for this upcoming season?
A: I always want to be competitive and try to win races in April and May, but this season I’m mostly focused on just having fun and enjoying my last high school track season.
Q: What is a necessity for you at a meet? AirPods, a certain snack, anything like that?
A: I always pack my birkenstocks for once I’m done for the day, my water bottle of course, and I like to steal my friend Jac’s rice cakes.
Q: What are some of your go-to songs to get you in the right headspace for a meet?
A: “Runnin” by 21 Savage.
Q: Besides track & field, what are some things you enjoy?
A: I love to hike, ski, read, and hang out with my friends.
Q: After a meet, how do you celebrate? Sleep, go to your favorite restaurant, what do you do?
A: Usually, I’ll go out to eat with my teammates and then get a good night’s sleep.
Q: What can people expect from your team this season?
A: Awesome things! We are off to a strong start, and everyone is running super fast. We are definitely ready to be competitive with lots of strong teams.
To submit an athlete for a spotlight request, tweet us on X: @CouchPSports
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