Athlete Spotlight: Samantha Armitage

Samantha Armitage is a senior at Valencia High School, and she has been a member of the cross-country team for four years. She is the captain of the Girls Varsity Team. Outside of cross country, Samantha is the president of the Science Olympiad Club and is a volunteer for many different organizations in Santa Clarita. 

Q: What inspired you to join cross country?

A: My brother ran cross country, so my mom wanted me to join as well. I wasn’t too keen on joining, but after I went to practice and saw how great of an environment it was, I kept going with it. 

Q: What lessons have you learned from cross country?

A: Cross country has taught me a lot about persistence and the importance of being patient. I’ve also learned that it takes a lot of grit and determination to reach your goals. 

Q: Are you planning to continue this sport in the future?

A: I’m probably not going to run for a college team, but I would love to continue being active in the future. I would love to join a run club as well. 

Q: Who is someone within the sport, or just an athlete in general, that you look up to?

A: Our coach Nancy Klinger is someone who inspires me a lot. She's very fast, and she runs marathons, which is very iconic. 

Q: What advice would you give to someone who wants to join cross country? 

A: One thing that I would tell them is that we have a really great community, and that everyone on the team is super nice, so they shouldn’t be nervous to join. Practices aren’t as scary as you might think, because they start you off slow and allow you to build up your stamina. 

Q: What is one book you think that everyone should read?

A: I think that everyone should read The Universe and Dr. Einstein. It's a really great book and it taught me a lot about gateway physics. 

Q: What subject interests you the most and why? 

A: I like science, specifically physics, because I think it is interesting to learn about the building blocks of our universe. Ms. Ellis, my AP Physics teacher, inspired me to pursue physics. 

Q: What are your plans after high school?

A: After high school, I’m planning on studying either chemistry or physics at a four year college. I want to be either a professor or a researcher, or maybe both. 

Q: If you could visit any fictional place, where would you go?

A: I would visit Narnia or the lost city of Atlantis. 

Q: If you could have an extra hour in the day, what would you use it to do?

A: I would definitely read. I feel like I don’t read enough.