Wichita North senior cross country runner Alexa Ornelas has turned heads this year with her competitive finishes. 

“One of her greatest qualities is her self-discipline,” coach Katherine Reimer said. “The amount of extra work she puts in outside of practice in strength, stretching, and recovery shows her dedication to the sport.” 

Ornelas has been running for five years and has quickly morphed into a strong runner in the City League.

“I would describe myself as a determined runner because I push myself to work hard in cross country, and strive to overcome any obstacles that come between myself and running,” Ornelas said. “When I run, I become centered on my main goal: to get better.” 

The senior has definitely gotten better because of her passion for the sport. 

“My primary goal for this season is to simply enjoy the time I spend running,” Ornelas said. “This is my final year running cross country in high school and I would like to look back and feel happy about my last season.” 

Ornelas has spent all offseason training for her goals, and with a 19:30 in her sights, the senior has another gear she is planning to get to.

“My mentality when it comes to running stems from a growth mindset,” Ornelas said. “When I run, I am always aiming to get better.” 

In the past, the confidence to keep running and competing didn’t always come easy for Ornelas. 

“I used to be very disappointed and would become discouraged after a race,” Ornelas said.  “Now, after an unpleasant race, I am still grateful for what I was able to achieve and tell myself I can do better next time. Every race serves as a learning experience for me, for better or worse.”

With hopes of finishing her career with a state run, Ornelas knows that she controls her own destiny.