Alsatta Bakana
Cheney High School, Cheney, WA
Class of 2018 Click here for Alsatta’s High School Athletic.net profile: https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/Athlete.aspx?AID=7807224#/L0 Click here for Alsatta’s Club Athletic.net profile: https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/Athlete.aspx?AID=12058650#/L0 My name is Alsatta Bakana and I was born in Ivory Coast, West Africa and my parents Samuel and Precious Bakana are from Liberia. Ever since I was a little girl I have always been competitive. I had to be faster than the boys and I always had to have the last word with any argument. I remember I used to race my mom everywhere as a child. I even earned the nickname “ kangaroo” because I was always jumping around and could never sit still. Competing has always been a part of me and it has brought me a long way in life. The 2017 school track season was one of the best so far in my track career. I broke several school records. I broke the 200 meter record which was previously a 25.5 with the current time of 24.48. With that time, I also broke the state record, which had been up since 1982. Next, I broke the previous high jump record of 5’6, setting the new record as 5’7. Lastly, I broke the previous 400 meter record which was a time of 56.97 and set the new record of a 56.25. I believe if I continue my training, I could potentially do some amazing things at Cheney High School and In Washington before I graduate. One of the hardest things I had to overcome was moving around a lot as a child. I've always had to start over and make new friends but the only thing that stayed constant was my love for track and field. My favorite thing about track and field is how it’s an individual sport but at the same time still a team sport. That means that the only person that can make you run faster is yourself. If you don't hit that big PR you wanted you can only blame yourself. But at the same time the whole team feels for you and supports you nonetheless. They tell you to brush it off and run your next race even faster. Off the track, I excel at art. Art has always been a passion of mine since I was little. I went from tap dancing, to learning how to play the piano, to writing poetry. I was always eager to learn something new. Quite recently I discovered I had an eye for photography. I received a first place award and judges choice award for my photography piece called " Keeper of Promises" at the 2016 Regional High School Art Show. Going to Nationals is a great opportunity because it gives me a chance to compete against the best in the nation and push myself to be the best athlete I can be. It also helps me become connected with other track and field athletes that I may potentially be on the same track team with in college. Going to Nationals will also help get my name out there for college coaches to contact me, which is another great opportunity. Track and field has always been a passion of mine and I hope to become a collegiate athlete one day and maybe even farther my track career and become a professional athlete. |