Camila Abarca (12) is a star athlete and the captain of the Girls Cross Country and Track and Field teams. She has been on these teams for all four years of high school and on varsity for four years as well.
She is part of Aliso Niguel’s Madrigals choir group and has also been in CSF since she was a freshman.
Abarca would like to continue running when she goes to college, but she also wants to focus on school.
She says, “I want to go to school, for school, but if I get to run when I’m there that would be amazing.”
Her goal for her senior year is to run a 17:20 in cross country and continue to be the best captain possible for her teammates. In track and field she would like to get new personal records and never stop running.
As for a team goal, she wants all of cross country to make it to CIF finals and for all of them to celebrate together. She says that she will guide her team to CIF as their captain and try her best if they get there this season.
“I want to be known as someone who worked really hard, and lifted other people up,” says Abarca. “I want to be someone who inspires other people to push themselves.”
She believes that in cross country, people should always try their best; if you can leave the race knowing you gave your all, that is all that should matter. Abarca says that simply trying your best and getting a good workout is what people should focus on when running.
“As long as you try your very best, and give it your all, you will be ok, and no one can take that away from you,” stated Camila.
After high school, Abarca wishes to major in mechanical engineering and still continue to run, even after she gets a long term job in the future.
Abarca’s coach for cross country holds her in a very high regard and views her as one of the “most amazing leaders on the cross country team ever.”
Coach Greg Colwell says, “She always organizes the girls, always provides great leadership to them, as well as a great example of a good work ethic — she works out on her own all the time.”
Camila Abarca holds a very high GPA in school and still makes time for running almost every single day, as well as showing up as a captain for her teammates.
Coach Colwell has stated that her attitude and leadership makes her such an amazing leader. She loves to be out there running and will go out of her way for just about anybody she can help. Colwell has also stated that he has absolutely no criticisms of Camila whatsoever and that she is a good person overall.
Both Camila’s coaches and her teammates respect her as a person and a runner overall and even she says that she will, “keep trying my best, and I hope my teammates will too.”
