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<strong>Colorado's Class of 2014 makes their decisions...</strong></p>
Makayla Santos parlayed a very strong fall campaign into a signing at Seattle Pacific University. Photo by Paul Jaeger.
Makayla Santos' best marks:
800 meters - 2:21.50
1600 meters - 5:26.38 (at altitude)
3200 meters - 12:11.18 (at altitude)
5K cross country - 19:09.0 (at altitude)
Tell us a little about what figured into your decision to sign with Seattle Pacific?
Seattle Pacific was a school that I hadn't really known about and I kinda just came across, but when it came down to choosing a school what I really looked at was where I would be able to grow as an individual the most. The small Christian school idea in a big city and a wonderful running program really appealed to me, and I really wanted to break away from my comfort zone of Colorado.
There seems to be a fairly steady trickle of Colorado athletes signing with SPU, did you have any previous acquaintances with any Colorado athletes currently at SPU?
No one that I know of has signed with SPU but to know that there will be more Colorado runners there with me is awesome and will hopefully give me a advantage and some common ground with the others.
Between cross country and track, what's your favorite event?
Cross country is mainly just 5Ks which I actually really enjoy running. It gives me time to be strategic and "make my move." In track my favorite event is the 800m, and in my opinion, it's one of the hardest events to run but also the most exhilarating. There are so many aspects that I love about both cross country and track so it's hard to choose which one is my favorite. But when it comes down to it I love the team aspect of cross country because we are such a tight knit team, but I love the racing and meet days of track.
What do you think you see yourself running most of in college?
Personally, I see myself running cross country most and the longer distances in track. I feel like cross country/distance events are my stronger areas and I will most likely excel at the most. I'm really looking forward to running at a different level and improving on my times over the coming years while at SPU.
Can you pick a favorite highlight or experience from your high school career so far?
There are so many great memories I've had over the course of these past four years, but traveling to Nike Pre Nationals in Portland, Oregon was probably the best experience so far. The surroundings were so different than those here in Colorado so it was amazing to be able to run there, the race day was rainy and muddy: a true cross country race, and the trip was an amazing time to bond with my teammates. While we were there, we drove down to Cannon Beach and it was the most liberating thing I have ever experienced. Everyone was running around laughing and having the times of their lives despite the wind and rain, and being from Colorado, seeing the beach was the most amazing ever thing for all of us and we really bonded over that shared experience.
Are there any dreams you hold out for this spring in year final high school season?
I don't have any specific goals or dreams for my final high school track season except to end it on a positive note. What that entails I am not entirely sure of yet but I would love to end the season knowing and feeling that I have truly earned my spot on the SPU team. With that being said, I am going to give my all in school, practice, and competition days, making sure I do all the little things right.
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If you're out and about on spring break this week with nothing to do on Wednesday, you can catch Makayla Santos and her Frontier Academy teammates at the Randall Hess Invitational at University High School on Wednesday. She's already put a 5:38 1600 on the track this spring and owns 3A's #2 time in that event.