With outstanding performances this season in the 600 and 400 meter run, Basil Alfaro ’18 has greatly strengthened Andover Boys Indoor Track and Field this year. At the Greater Boston Track Club Invitational, Alfaro secured a third place finish in the 600 meter run with a time of 1:24.42 minutes.
His determined attitude and desire to keep improving makes Alfaro an incredible asset to the team and has earned him The Phillipian’s athlete of the week.
What was your track experience before coming to Andover?
Before Andover, I did summer track back home in Charleston and I didn’t actually do distance. Instead I did hurdles, long jump, and triple jump. But then I busted my hip really badly, and I switched to distance because of that.
What personal and team goals did you have for the season?
For winter track [the goal] is always to get ready for outdoor track. To be more concrete, big goals would be [getting a personal record] in the 600m, and in the 4×4 as well. Also setting a school record and breaking it is always good. Most of the goals for indoor are getting as prepared as you can for outdoor because that is where most of the fun and competition is. [By the time I graduate], I want to win the race in the 800m at Interschols, so that’s definitely one big goal. I’d say time-wise I am not really sure, I think the most concrete one is being first place in the 800.
What is something you think you improved on and the team has improved on this season?
I think I’ve improved a lot, comparatively to preseason, on my discipline and diligence about things outside of running, like what I eat, or training after, stretching after, things like that. I have made running to be a lot more than just the practice time.
What is your favorite thing about track?
There is always something to shoot for, a time to try and break or a person to try and catch. You will never be the best, I mean you can be, but there is only one person. Having that idea that you will never be the best, but in a hopeful way, [means] there is always a next step to take that is even harder and harder to do. So there is never an end which is what I love about it.
How has your track career differentiated since you came to Andover?
It’s a lot more competitive. Running in middle school versus high school is obviously a big thing. I’d say I have also fine-tuned myself a lot more, I have learned more of what I am good at. Before, during freshman and lower year, I would kind of just run 400m and 800m, but as I got older I learned more about what I enjoyed, as well as what I am good at. I was able to specialize which I enjoyed a lot more.
What has been your favorite part about being a member of this team?
I would say the tradition, as well as the loose team dynamic [is my favorite part of the team] in a way. You pull a lot of people together, who do a lot of different things, and are different in a lot ways, especially based on their events. A big challenge of track is how you figure that out, how you bond with people outside your events, and how you bond with people you don’t know at all. That’s what makes it really fun, it’s never an inner circle thing, it’s a bunch of people and you are both by yourself, as well as a huge team.
What has been the most valuable thing you’ve learned so far from being on this team?
How to balance being an individual as well as being a teammate. I would say track is a very individual sport, but there is also a team aspect to it with scoring and the people you train with. A very hard balance with track, and racing sports in general, is how to be the best athlete and teammate you can be, and I think I have learned how to prioritize them both.
