Alan Batista

What is your name and how do you spell it? 

My name is Alan Bautista, A l a n, B a u t i s t a. 

What sports do play? 

I do track and field. 

What position or events do you do on your team? 

So I do the 110-meter hurdles as well as the 300-meter hurdles. 

What is your role or impact on the team?

So I am the team captain for this, year, and I’m really just kind of like, a motivator for the runners. 

How do you elevate others on your team to do better? 

I really just try to push them to be the best athlete I can be. I also want to lead others into doing their best in their own events.

What are some of your, key times for last season in your events? 

I think last year I definitely improved on my 300 meter hurdles. I got to, I want to say like, a 47, 48. I would definitely want to get that down to the 45 this year. 

What is your favorite event to do and why? 

My favorite event that I do is the 300-meter hurdles. It’s not a full lap, and I’m not a runner who is extremely fast off and blocks at the start. So that 300-meters kind of gives me that bit of extra time to make up for time loss at the very start of the blocks.

How do you expect to do this season compared to last season?

So last season, I was trying to get more into that leader role, and this year I’m definitely going to push myself to,  push others and be a role model. 

What are some of your personal goals for this season?

So for myself, I definitely want to improve on my form. I want to get my times down. I want to be more active than I’ve ever been, and I want to bring people along with me on that as well. 

What are your team’s expectations? Not just yourself, but, like, what is the team as a whole think about the season? 

Track and field is a sport where you just, like, cannot fall behind. We each have our own individual events and team events, and we are just one giant team. We all hold each other for high expectations, pushing each other during practice. 

When is the first meet of the season? 

Our first meet of the season. I think it’s going to be at Central on March, I think 25th, if I’m correct.

Where will the meet be held at, is it at home or away?

It should be away. At Francis Howell Central or Francis Howell High for our first meet.

What have you all been doing to prepare for this season? 

I’ve been just lifting a little. I’ve been trying to get back into the habit of running either every day or every other day, whenever I can.

How have you been going above and beyond to meet your expectations? 

I’ve been trying to find different workouts and tips to help me improve myself. I’ve been looking at my old times seeing how that can be improved as well. 

What will be the toughest part of the meets for North, and how do you all hope to overcome it?

The most difficult parts about the meets are just staying consistent. You could have anywhere between one event to up to four events, and so really being being able to be consistent with is pretty difficult, but you just have to like pace yourself. 

How excited are you for the first of the season?

A: I’m very excited. It’s always the one meet where I’m just in my nerves, but as the season kind of goes through, that goes away a bit, and I’m really just excited to see how people have either improved or if they’re new to the team, how they impact the team on the first meet.

What will need to happen for North to come out on top?

Definitely just have to strive a lot in practice, come to practice every day for that one and a half, to two hours, and just try to be the best version of ourselves for the season. 

How do you think this meet will go?

It’s the first meet, so I don’t expect records to be broken, but it’s definitely  going to be a nice place for us to start at. So that’s what I’m looking forward to. 

How is this first meet different from others for the team? 

Well, if you’re new to the team, it’s going to be a completely different atmosphere. If you’re from volleyball or basketball or if you just don’t play any sports. This is definitely like the one sport where it’s very, very physical and mental. This meet it’s the one who get’s you in the right spot and puts your mind where we want it to be. 

How do your teammates feel about the first meet?

I think they’re excited as well. They definitely share the same nerves as we all do before a races. 

Do you have anything else you’d like to add, or is there anyone else I could talk to?

I would definitely talk to the other track and field captain, Olivia Gietl. She’s the other half. She’s a junior. I would definitely just like to add to all the people that are either thinking of joining track or are on track to just know that we are here as a team. We would definitely welcome you and we offer a great season.