Runner, Jasper High School

Words by Linley Allred | Images by Al Blanton

“Running is a safe space for me. I’ve found that it lessens my stress and helps me feel better,” says Cinthia Marquez, a cross-country and indoor and outdoor track athlete at Jasper High School.

Cinthia first became interested in running when she was in middle school.

“I knew I wanted to play a sport, so I tried out for the cross-country team at the end of sixth grade. I made it, but it definitely wasn’t my strongest year. I got much more serious about the sport, and in eighth grade, I started running outdoor track as well.”

Now, Cinthia competes in cross-country and participates in three events during both the indoor and outdoor track seasons. Her favorite is the 1,600-meter race, whether she is competing indoors or outdoors.

“Cross-country was definitely my least favorite at first, but now I’ve started to enjoy the scenery more,” Cinthia says with a laugh.

When setting goals for herself, Cinthia usually focuses on smaller, more achievable milestones, especially when challenging weather conditions such as rain or extreme heat affect her performance.

“When I feel disappointed in how I ran, I like to talk to Coach Franks because he always has good advice,” she says.

In Coach Andy Franks, Cinthia has both a trusted adviser and an enthusiastic supporter.

“When I started at Jasper High in 2022, I began meeting the cross-country athletes during summer workouts, and I quickly became impressed by Cinthia,” Franks says. “She didn’t have a lot of racing experience at the time, but she had very good running form and a strong work ethic, so I knew she had potential. It didn’t take long for her to see that potential herself, and she had an amazing eighth-grade season, especially in outdoor track.

“She has continued to grow and improve, and during her junior year, she set personal records in the 5K, 3,200 and 1,600, qualifying for state in all of her events. I can’t wait to see what she accomplishes during her senior year.”

When Cinthia began her track journey, the team was still very young. Its members have since grown and improved together. The group now benefits from strong upperclassman leadership and has developed into a supportive, cohesive team.

The athletes’ year-round practice schedule may strengthen that cohesion. “I gave myself two to three weeks off after state this year, but now we’re practicing three days a week all summer,” Cinthia says. “I also run two other days a week, and since we’re training for cross-country, I run five to eight miles on my long runs and do speed work two times each week.”

When she is not running, Cinthia maintains a high academic average while carrying a full schedule of Advanced Placement classes. She also enjoys playing the piano and reading in her spare time.

Asked about her ultimate goal, Cinthia smiles.

“I want to break the school record in the 5K.”

When she does, her teammates, coaches, and supporters will be waiting for her at the finish line. 78