Carmella Lanzo is a junior who has been running track for five years since the seventh grade. She normally runs the 4×100 meter and 4×200 meter, but she has run open events like the 100 or 200 meter dash.
Lanzo’s favorite part of running track is the rewarding feeling she receives. She loves the way she feels after a good performance- whether that be a PR, good hand off or just having an overall good day. Her least favorite part of track is feeling that she let down her teammates. She feels she is her own worst critic when it comes to the sport, but she hopes that she makes her teammates proud.
Lanzo has the drive to continue running in order to make her father proud.
“My biggest motivation for running track or playing any sport is probably my dad. He’s helped me a lot with the mental aspect of it, and I feel like that’s how I’ve improved. He’s also always there for me at meets and games, and I’m very thankful for that,” says Lanzo.
For Lanzo, she feels that a win in her book is beating a previous time. She feels that track isn’t always about the win, but it’s about self-improvement. Losing a race is difficult for her, but she reminds herself to let herself breathe. After a loss, she thinks about what she did and processes it in order to do better next time.
Lanzo’s largest achievement has been gaining her spot on some relay teams; they can be a struggle but she loves them.
“My biggest accomplishment in track was earning a spot on the 4×200 and 4×100 relay teams my junior year. It’s a huge privilege to work with those amazing girls and being in relay events is very exciting. While it does come with its challenges, being in these events is so much fun,” says Lanzo.
Lanzo’s plans for senior season are basically the same as they have been previously. She wants to have a good mindset and set a good example for underclasses. She does hope to continue improving her time and working on relays, other than that she just plans to have some fun.
Lanzo’s best thing to look back on is witnessing herself and her peers grow throughout the years.
“My favorite memories from track are all of the moments I got to watch my team grow and succeed. Particularly, my sophomore and junior year, there were a lot of younger girls who I got to help and guide. They are all so very talented and have so much potential. It means so much to me when I get to see these young ladies improve and see how proud they are of themselves,” says Lanzo.
The runner is very excited for her senior year, but it is bittersweet. She’s ready for the senior privileges, including senior night. She will miss the underclassmen and the community that surrounds her. She has loved getting to grow up in Struthers, and she is very proud of what she’s done.
Lanzo does not plan on running track in college. She would like it to be something that remains as a high school memory. After high school, Lanzo does plan on attending college, but she is undecided on where and what she’ll study.
