Pioneer Athlete Spotlight on Quinn Whiteley
Team: Ygnacio Valley High School; Grade: Senior; Sports: Cross Country, Track, Soccer
The International Baccalaureate program at Ygnacio Valley High attracted Whiteley to the Concord school when she had other choices within the district. Three years later she was the top finisher as the Warriors cross country team won last fall’s Diablo Athletic League Valley Division championship, the first in school history. Whiteley is a team captain for both the cross country and track teams. She will have a busy six months of running with the condensed sports calendar that finds cross country season moved to the beginning of the new year through late March with track and field starting immediately after that into June. Whiteley’s cross country races are two or three miles while on the track she runs 800, 1600 and 3200 meters. She has participated in martial arts for nine years, helping her mental and physical conditioning for high school sports.
Coach Mark Tran says, “Quinn is a key component in the revival of Ygnacio Valley’s running programs. She is focused, competitive and motivated to get better each and every race.” Her times rate in the school’s top five on all the cross country courses the team competes on. Trans, who doubles as the school’s athletic director, says, “I do not have a cross country background. It is my 5th year coaching XC and I am learning as I go. I am a track and field and basketball coach. But this is the best group of kids I have ever worked with in the 21 years I’ve been at Ygnacio Valley. Great kids. They are so close and honestly care for each other. None of them had ever ran before coming to YV as freshmen. They have been practicing since last December and when track season was cancelled it did not break them. They are hoping to complete this year.”
Whiteley wants to attend a four-year school next fall in the hope of then going to medical school to study orthopedic surgery in sports medicine.
The Pioneer congratulates Quinn and thanks Athlete Spotlight sponsors Dr. Laura Lacey & Dr. Christopher Ruzicka who have been serving the Clayton and Concord area for 25 years at Family Vision Care Optometry. www.laceyandruzicka.com
Do you know a young athlete who should be recognized? Perhaps he or she has shown exceptional sportsmanship, remarkable improvement or great heart for the sport. Send your nomination for the Pioneer Athlete Spotlight today to sports@pioneerpublishers.com.