As her track shoes press down on the red ground underneath her, she sees the finish line in sight and pushes to finish off her 1600 meter race. Unknown to her, varsity track and cross country coach Emmanuel Mallam was among the spectators watching her finish off the race. After the race, Mallam approaches eighth grade Luca Bella Francis, offering her a spot on the track team starting her freshman year.
Now, as a junior, Francis has risen to the top of the track and cross country food chain as she prepares to continue her position as team captain her senior year. Francis is the only member of the varsity girl’s cross country team and serves as the captain for both cross country and track. Francis ran in the district 6A track meet on April 4, where she placed 17 in the 3200 Meter Run and placed 20 in the 1600 Meter Run.
“I have improved a lot,” Francis said. “I still have a long way to go and a lot more to improve, but my training is way more particular and I’m way more particular about the way I do things. As you run, you learn that everything matters.”
Francis joined the track due to an interest in the program, and has only grown to love it more. As she continued her track career into high school, she quickly realized it was a bit of a different game.
“As a runner, she’s very competitive,” Mallam said. “She’s more focused on new times to hit. She’s a very dedicated young lady. She pushes herself hard and is always very focused on reaching her goals.”
Starting on the JV track and cross country teams her freshman year, Francis trained under the upperclassmen on the team at the time. Francis’ running partner her freshman year was 2023 graduate Trinity Trotter.
“When I was a freshman, [Trotter] was a junior,” Francis said. “We were the varsity girls team. She was the number one girl. She is so speedy. I still text her after every single race I run. She took me under her wing when I was a freshman, and she still let me run with her even though I was significantly slower.”
Francis has been elected as the student body president for next year. She has held the president position at her respective school since her freshman year, and has now fulfilled her dream of being senior president. The campaign for senior officers started on March 18 and the results were announced on March 25.
“She’s very humble,” Student Council adviser Dan Moser said. “It takes a lot of an individual, especially a high school individual, to not get on the cocky side, and she has never shown any of that. She has loved where she’s at with the juniors and is excited for next year.”
Although she is unsure what her exact plans are after her graduation, Francis is sure there will be a place for track and cross country in her future.
“Being in cross country and track, it is the most predictable sport there is,” Francis said. “If you put in the work, you’ll get results. You are racing against yourself. It is the sport that most highlights your strengths and exposes your weaknesses. Having dedication and being disciplined is something that you’ll have to take through everything you do in life.”
