Alese Sartain commits to Adams State University for track and field

Alese Sartain signs her letter of intent to Adams State University. Image credit: Lakeland Yellowjackets.

A local Bonnyville track and field athlete is advancing to the next level.

Alese Sartain signed her letter on intent to go Adams State University in Colorado to compete in the NCAA.

Sartain has been part of the Lakeland Yellowjackets club track team that trains during both the indoor and outdoor seasons for a couple of years.

“I had about 20 schools I was in contact with and then we came down to at least five that I was really sure that I wanted to visit. Then when I visited out of state, I think I kind of always knew that’s where I wanted to go because the coaches, they were just unbelievable,” said Sartain.

“They have an incredible track program. They’re an unreal track program. And I just woke up one day and I was like, mom, give’em an email. That’s the school I want to go to. And it just went from there. And then a couple days later, I got my letter of intent. I signed it off and it was that. I was committed to Adams State University.”

The Bonnyville sprinter and jumper couldn’t have predicted how far track and field would take her.

“In Grade 9, Grade 10, I was still doing other sports. I wasn’t quite sure what track was yet. I loved it, but I wasn’t quite sure that it was what I wanted to do yet and it came in Grade 11 that I was like this is what I want to do and I started training really hard for it,” she said.

“I’m so happy that it’s finally come to this.”

Alese’s cousin Mason Sartain is also vying for a track-and-field scholarship at the next level after continued work both have done to improve competition after competition.

She was appreciative to the people who got her to this level.

“I’d like to thank my coach Larry Godziuk. He has definitely been a big part of this and same with my uncle [Kevin Sartain] if it wasn’t for him, driving me to the track meets when my mom couldn’t because she had to work.

“He’s always been there and he’s like a second coach too. If Larry’s not there, he helps just as much as he does. They’ve been a big part of my life with track.”

Sartain’s advice to peers initially starting to train in track and field: don’t beat yourself up at first.

“I would just kind of say to them it gets easier, don’t beat up yourself. Track is a very strong mental game. You can’t beat yourself up with it.”

This final outdoor track and field season will likely be cancelled or severely reduced, so the next time Sartain hits the shale could be the fall.