TUCSON, Ariz. –  Last season Arizona's track and field team gained a breakout star in the heptathlon. The Salpointe Catholic graduate and Tucson native Alyssa Thompson made a statement at the Pac-12 Multis last season where she took second overall with a personal record of 5,580 points, the fourth-best heptathlon score in school history.
"It was the meet of my life because I had been working really hard in practice all year but some things I was practicing weren't translating to the meets," Thompson said. "So, with one of the biggest meets of the year upcoming I really wanted to ensure those things that were happening at practice to come out at the meet and it all came together."
Thompson ended up putting up personal records in multiple events that day. All together Thompson had personal bests in the 200-meter, 800-meter, high jump, shot put, and javelin.
"I had to put up a personal best in the 800-meter race to qualify for nationals," Thompson said. "I was nervous at first but knew that the work I put in would pay off and it did."
Thompson ended up earning second-team All-American honors at the National Championships.
"Nationals was such a surreal feeling," Thompson said. I remember growing up and watching the meet on my television at home, so it was amazing to be on the other side of that competing with some of the best college athletes in the country. It made all my hard work worth it and I was so excited to show everyone my talent.
Thompson's national success went along with her several academic accomplishments. Thompson was First-Team Pac-12 All-Academic last season to go along with a USTFCCCA All-Academic honor as well.
Thompson loves the heptathlon so much because of how unique it is, and she even says the mental toughness she has garnered through her event has translated to all other aspects of her life.
"It takes a unique metal strength that i have learned to develop over the years," Thompson said. "It is important to be able to stay level headed when things are going well or poorly."
Thompson had her best year last year and there is even more to come. She will be using her redshirt season this year and come back in 2018 stronger and faster than ever before.
"With my redshirt year here I am going to work on breaking bad habits," Thompson said. "I want to finish my career here at U of A with a Pac-12 Championship and First-Team All-American honors."
With Thompson's trajectory, the sky is high.
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