Here is the text of a letter Jaime Alton wrote to the new members of the cross country team:

To the Newcomers of Akron Cross Country and Track:

I hope that all of you are excited to begin a new experience in your lives and are enjoying your summer and training. Foremost of anything, I wanted to tell you to relax and enjoy what you are doing because it seems to go by so quickly. As I look back on my four years of running at Akron, it has been one of the most memorable and rewarding times along with a great learning experience.  I want to share my story with you to let you know that you don't have to be "superfabulous" (you'll hear about that) or the best at what you do in order to succeed. All you need is a positive attitude and do not ever sell yourself short.

I came to Akron as a walk-on, a very intimidated and nervous walk-on. I did alright in high school, but was never like my soon-to-be teammates or competitors. I gave it a shot and got a slow start, but I learned a lot about the hard work and dedication I needed to succeed. After talking with Scott and finding out what would work best for me, I dropped my time from one year to the next. I saw the success my teammates had and I wanted to feel that way as well. A lot of the success I had over the years was a result of my summer training. Working hard and building a distance base was what personally helped me. I learned how to focus on what my body was telling me, and to do what I was capable of, while keeping a positive attitude. I took recovery time when I needed it and I pushed my limits on days that I set as important ones. All of this learning and dedication came from disappointments that made me become a more "serious" and goal-oriented runner. In my freshman year, I was disappointed by the fact that my time stayed the same as it was in high school. My sophomore year, I dropped about a minute in cross, but at the Regional meet, I had to sit out because I was #8 and I had to watch my 7 teammates run and be successful. That was when I told myself to hang in there and make a positive out of this and so I did. I ended up dropping over 2 minutes in my cross country time from the beginning to end of my running career at Akron and gaining a scholarship due to my hard work and improvements.

From this story, I am asking all of you to never doubt your potential!!! There is no limit to what you can do and too many times people set them for themselves. None of us are superhuman and we all face aches and pains and downfalls in running. The real quest is how you deal with those situations, being strong mentally, and making a positive out of a negative. You should do what is best for you and your body in those times as well. I often had a hard time telling myself to take a cross-training day or a day off if it was needed, but I learned how much they can help you mentally and physically and be ready for the next day.

Listen to your body this summer in your training because you will see the effects during the season. I also hope all of you are looking forward to working with Scott as a coach. He taught me all I know about being a successful runner and to get rid of the limits I had set for myself too early. He will work with you individually to meet your highest potential. I had never jumped a hurdle a day in high school, but Scott tried me in the steeplechase and I turned out to just miss a National mark in that event by a second. Experiment with new things and expand on what you think you can do. Not only working with the coaches but I hope you are anxious to meet and train with each other. I have made so many memories and gained some of the best friendships throughout my running career. You guys have a great, big class coming in which should lead to plenty of fun, hard work, and most of all SUCCESS as a team. Enjoy every minute- it is a great experience and an accomplishment!

I am looking forward to seeing you run in the Fall as I finish up my early childhood education degree in my 5th year. Good Luck and Best Wishes to all of you !!!

Sincerely,
Jaime Alton

Jaime's Achievements

Personal Bests

800m - 2:22.48

1500m - 4:47.60

3000m SC - 11:11.44

5000m - 18:15.6

5000m XC - 18:10

In 2000 Jaime placed 13th at the All Ohio Cross Country Championships and was voted

the team's most improved runner. As a senior she was elected team captain.