Sprinter carries on family tradition

It is in her blood.

When it comes to running track at Citrus College, freshman Shawn Miller has great role models. 

Her dad Mark Miller, was a sprinter on the track team when he attended Citrus.

"Since both of my parents ran track in high school and my dad ran at Citrus like me, I look up to them to teach me how to work hard for what I want to achieve in life," Miller said.

Miller played varsity softball at Glendora High School during her sophomore and junior years, but then decided to try something new. In her senior year, she took a chance with track.

Since track and softball overlapped, she could not compete in the regular softball season, but she was able to play in the CIF softball games after the conclusion of CIF finals for track.

After graduating in spring 2009 and earning an MVP title for sprinting, Miller decided to continue her successful track career at Citrus.

Miller has proved she is a serious competitor at the college level.  This season she ran top times in her events: 100-meter dash, 12.7 seconds, 200-meter dash, 26.3 seconds, and 400-meter relay split time- 60 seconds.

Miller is one of two female sprinters on the 12-member team.

"It is a lot of fun because there are never any issues. We get along great," Miller said. "I have become so close with my teammate Maya Avant that we have become, in many ways, like a little family."

When the workouts get hard, Miller looks to freshman sprinter Avant for motivation.

"Shawn is a sweet, dedicated athlete," Avant said. "She makes the workouts easier for me, and I know that if I didn't have her as my teammate that I probably would have quit a while ago."

Miller hopes to transfer to Azusa Pacific University or Cal Poly Pomona and major in business or sociology. She likes to spend time with her boyfriend or soaking up sun at the beach.

"She does not want to lose," said sprinting coach Richard Nila.  "She always gives her best effort to get the best result."

Miller hopes that her hard work pays off when she competes in the Southern California Finals at Saddleback College on May 15 at noon. State finals are scheduled for May 20 at Antelope Valley College.

"Being able to accomplish personal goals that I set at the beginning of the season is very rewarding," Miller said. "I am the only one who knows what it took mentally and physically to get there."