University of Idaho track and field has welcomed Sarah Pecha, a first-year distance runner. Pecha is coming to UI with a goal of good grades and keeping running and, despite her high school career being challenged by COVID-19, Pecha said she is feeling good to be here.
Before coming to Idaho, Pecha attended Central Valley High School in Spokane Valley, Washington.
During her high school running career, Pecha said her proudest accomplishment was qualifying for the Washington State Cross Country Championship meet, placing 64th her junior year. This enabled her to go to another national meet in California.
Pecha also placed 25th at the virtual statewide cross-country meet. Her personal best on a 5,000-meter cross-country is 19:31. On the track, her bests sit at 5:30.84 in the 1,600-meter and 2:26 in the 800-meter races.
However, shortly after placing at the championship COVID-19 hit and cut the season short.
“It was difficult to have that taken away,” Pecha said. “I especially remember I was feeling really good, really strong that season.”
Pecha continued running into her senior year, which was wrought with frequent schedule changes and cancellations.
“I kept getting ready to compete, and then I wouldn’t, and then I’d get ready, and I wouldn’t, so it was hard with training to figure it all out,” Pecha said.
During the challenging times, Pecha says her motivators were the girls she ran with, her sisters at home and her high school teammate, now college teammate, Savannah Pratt.
Aside from running, Pecha said her greatest accomplishment in high school was getting into a top-tier chamber orchestra at her school, with only 16 people and half of them being violins.
Pecha said one of her reasons for choosing UI was for the teams’ high grades. In July, UI women’s indoor cross country had 31 student-athletes on Big Sky Winter All-Academic Teams, according to Vandal Athletics. UI is also named as one of the NCAA Division I Women’s Track & Field All-Academic Teams with a GPA of 3.789, the second-highest in the nation.
“We are so excited to add Sarah to our Vandal family,” said Tim Cawley, the director of track and field, in a press release. “She is a talented student-athlete, getting it done not only on the track but also in the classroom.”
Pecha’s two older sisters, Anna and Erica Pecha, became Vandals before her.
“I’m really excited to just be a college student, navigate it all,” Pecha said.
Cody Roberts can be reached [email protected] or on Twitter @CodyRobReports