Caitlin Dent '16 Recruiting Profile

Startng at of age of 6 years old my father. began training me in the sport of track and field. We initially beginning with correct running form and tec. nique , how to accelerate and stride in a race.. At the same time my mother enrolled me in ballet and I remain in this discipline until the age of 11. I had to stop due to having to have surgery for a compartment syndrome. while enrolled at BalletMet I participated in 5 Nutcracker productions and once in sleeping beauty. I began officially competing in track competition at the age of 7 my father entered me in a Hershey track and field qualifying meet and I placed first in the 400 meters with a time of 1:14 I qualify for the state regional meet and took a second place in the 400 meters with a time of 1:11. I went on competing in AAU and USATF meets qualifying for the AAU National. Junior Olympic championship as a bantam, sub midget and midget and held a AAU regional 400 meter record 1:08 at 10 years old. My parents who have always been a example of overcoming adversity and setbacks taught me well .My father was raised in a foster home and my mother was the oldest of 15 siblings but both manage to go to college. My father competed for two years for The Ohio State University track team as a walk on after not receiving a scholarship. They have been married for 19years and even after my father having to take a early retirement as a state special agent and going on disability he started coaching track at the middle school I was going to attend. Later my mother lost her job of 11years and and began working two part-time jobs to try and maintain our modest life style . At the age of 10 my parents had my two younger brothers now 7and 4years old. We had to move from a middle class community to a community that I was not accustomed. My parents would not allow me to socialize with most of the other kids in the neighborhood because most of them stayed in trouble. I attended school across town and for the. most part I just played with my two Shar Pei dogs in a fenced in yard. My father would say we may live in what appears to be ghetto but we are not hood you do not have to become a product of your environment . which has always stuck with me. Watching my parents deal with setbacks and continue stay positive inspired me to do the same. For two years just as I was coming into the prime of my track running I began having problems with my leg none of the doctors could figure out what was wrong. For the next two. years after qualifying for the state finals AAU meet I could not continue on to the nationals due to unbearable pain in my calf. The following season it happen again since I was only 12 the doctors never considered compartment syndrome. I finally was properly diagnosed and had surgery and have been good since. During those two years I watched runners I had always beaten rises to the top and take my Spot of State AAU champion I held for three years and sometimes wonder if I would ever run track again. But I had always been taught never to quit never to give up. My father would continue to tell me quitting is not an option in life it's a choice .So the first season I return back to track I was now starting middle school as a 7th grader I won the 400 meters in the City Middle School Championship meet with a time of 1:01. The following year I anchored both the 4x200 and 4x400 meter relays in the State Middle School Championship meet we placed second on both relays. I attend Fort Hayes metropolitan high school my parents enrolled me in this lottery school due to the high academic and college prep classes. This is one of the better high schools in Columbus and it's been challenging I want to be a veterinarian and although I have been diagnosed with ADHD I work hard and refuse to let my condition dictate my dream. My 11th grade year I struggle from time to time with my classes and at the beginning of 4th quarter was on academic probation But at the end of the quarter I went from a F in Math to A and two more A s along with two B s this was during track season and since Fort Hayes he has no sports I travel by bus to Northland hs to train because it's the nearest high school to where I live. Many times practice has already begun when I get there so I will train on my own. Columbus city schools don't have indoor track season so my father and Butch Reynolds created a Track Club D and R All Star Sprinters to afford runners like myself the opportunity to run indoors so we are not at such a disadvantaged when it comes to the outdoor season. This was the first year I have ever ran indoors and I plan on doing it through my senior year In closing, like many young people I sometimes have not listen and made mistakes although I experienced most of early success. when my dad coach me up to middle school. Once I started high school I no longer wanted to train with him or do what he suggested. My High school has only a field and distance coach they do their best with the sprinters but we are not push. So it was Easier but my times have not gone down until this year and can be much better. I know I have the talent and life experiences to contribute to any college track program and feel now the maturity has caught up and if allowed the opportunity and chance I will make the best of myself as a student and athlete and go on to becoming a very productive person in our society. Thank you for your consideration