She will only be a sophomore next fall, but this young runner is an example to follow not just for her teammates, but for other athletes as well.

Erika Ramos, a native of Hoopeston Ill., is majoring in physical education at Eastern. She is currently a member of the track and field and cross country teams.

Ramos has been running for eight years. Her parents, Guadalupe and Shannon, introduced her to the sport.

“My parents actually, when I was in sixth grade, they thought it would be cool to try it,” she said.

As a college athlete, she currently holds two outdoor track records.

Ramos holds the freshman 1500 meter record, finishing with 4 minutes and 42 seconds.

She also holds the 800 meter record, finishing with 2 minutes and 14 seconds.

As an athlete, Ramos described herself as a hard working runner.

“I’m very dedicated and hard working-I don’t give up until I get what I want,” she said.

She runs approximately 30 to 35 miles per week for the track team and 40 to 45 miles for the cross country team during the different seasons.

Ramos does not have a goal for track and field yet, but she did mention her wish to improve her timing in cross country.

“I have not really thought about track yet-but for cross country, I really want to improve my time in every race,” she said.

Tom Akers, coach of track and field and cross country, said he has known Ramos over a year.

He met her during the recruiting process at Eastern.

As an athlete, Akers said Ramos’s best qualities are her intensity as a competitor, her good work ethic and her natural running abilities.

As far as personal improvement, Akers said she should be more self-confident.

“Our mind is often our biggest roadblock in athletics-being confident in what she can accomplish is the biggest one right now,” he said.

Akers considers Ramos as a role model athlete and said he is looking forward to seeing her future achievements.

“She came in as a freshman worked very hard and contributed to the teams both cross country indoor and outdoor,” he said. “I’m looking forward to see what she is going to accomplish over the years.”

Gabriela Duenas, sophomore art major, is also a member of the track and cross country teams. She said Ramos is a well-rounded athlete.

“She is really committed to what she does, she really loves running, she is really talented too and takes advantage of it,” she said.

Besides being a good athlete, Duenas also described her as a good friend.

“She’s really caring and fun to be around. Always (when) we go out together we’re always laughing and joking around,” she said.

Pablo Rodriguez can be reached at 581-7942 or [email protected].