Elliotte Shin’s Breakthrough First-Year Season

The transition from middle school to high school is often a period of discovery, but for Impact Academy first year student Elliotte Shin, it was a year of transformation. In her first season of cross country during the Fall of 2025, Shin didn’t just participate—she excelled, culminating in a historic trip to the CIF State Cross Country Championships at Woodward Park. 

After aging out of her local baseball league, she joined track and field in seventh grade simply to stay active. When the cross-country season began, her initial goal was just to maintain fitness for the upcoming track season. 

Elliotte shared, “I didn’t have any intentions of … winning anything.” However, as the season progressed, her confidence increased. “I was able to run a 5K without stopping… I feel like I was better than I ever was”. 

That newfound stamina led to a stunning performance at the Oakland Section Championships, where she took home the BACSAC Most Value Runner award as the top runner in the league and placed seventh overall to secure a spot at the state meet. The achievement was so unexpected that she didn’t realize her ranking until after the race.  

“Winning the BACSAC Championships and seventh overall was a really huge achievement for me because I didn’t even know I got that place. I saw runners ahead of me and I was like, oh, my gosh. OK, so at least I would place. But I didn’t think I would get first. I was like, wow, that’s amazing. I think that [has] been my biggest accomplishment…”  

Representing the Oakland Section at the State Meet is a feat few freshmen achieve. For Shin, the event at Woodward Park was a “mind-blowing” introduction to elite competition. Walking onto the course, she was struck by the “thousands of kids” and the presence of record-breaking runners. As she learned throughout the season, Elliotte went into the last race of the season with a “clear headspace” to avoid letting “nervous energy flow to my head.” Crossing the finish line, her focus was clear: “I have to finish strong… I want my mom and dad to be there and just like be, ‘oh, my gosh, you finished strong.” 

This is only the beginning; Elliotte is already planning her return. Her experience has reshaped her approach to the sport, shifting her focus to personal growth. 

“I’m running for myself, not for everybody else… I don’t need to think about all the pressure… I just want to place as best as I can.” 

To prepare for next season, Shin is implementing disciplined changes: 

• Training: Increasing long-distance runs to 4-5 miles to improve mile splits for the 5K. 

• Recovery: Prioritizing more recovery days to avoid the early-season burnout she experienced this year. 

• Lifestyle: Making small dietary shifts, such as choosing water over juice. 

• Balance: Managing a heavy homework load at Impact Academy alongside a two-team practice schedule. 

As a first-year success story, Shin’s advice to other first-year or first-time runners is simple: don’t overthink it. “If you pressure yourself too much, you’re probably not going to have the results you want.”  

For Elliotte Shin, running has become more than a way to stay in shape—it’s a way to escape and a core part of her identity. With her eyes set on the 2026 season, the BACSAC community will be watching closely as she continues to blaze her own trail.