Kane County Chronicle Athlete of the Week: Geneva’s Alyssa Flotte, girls track and field, freshman

Name: Alyssa Flotte

School: Geneva, freshman

Sport: Girls track and field

Why she was selected: In the Kane County Invitational meet, the freshman took wins in the 100-meter dash, 100 and 300 hurdles and also anchored the Vikings to a second-place finish in the 4x200 relay. Her 38 points on the day was the most by a single athlete and helped the Vikings to the team title.

Flotte was selected as the Kane County Chronicle Athlete of the Week in an online vote. Here is her Q&A with Joel Boenitz.

You had three wins and accumulated 38 points to help Geneva win the meet. How did you feel afterwards?

Flotte: I was just surprised, but I was just glad that I pulled through in the end and kept helping to get points for the team.

Two of your wins came back-to-back in the 100-meter hurdles and 100-meter dash. How did you approach those races?

Flotte: By the time I got back to the starting line, I was scared I wasn’t going to have enough of a break. But I just kept making sure my breathing was all good and calmed myself down. By the time it was my turn to run again, I wasn’t feeling too tired, and I felt great.

This is your first year on Geneva’s team. How would you say it’s gone so far?

Flotte: I would say it’s going better than I expected. I wasn’t expecting for all this to happen. I just came to run, and it’s been really fun. I’ve also made a lot of new friends and found a lot of new people that I can support on the track that also support me too.

How has your mentality changed since starting high school track?

Flotte: I guess one way is that I always have to be in the right mindset. But I don’t know, because I never really know what to expect anymore, so I have to be ready for anything.

When did you get into track and what keeps you going?

Flotte: I started in seventh grade because my friends were doing it, and I joined because of them. And I kept going because my family and friends and coaches all supported me through the whole journey. So then I realized, like, “Oh, I might actually be good at this. I might as well stick with it.’ ”

Which event do you like competing in the most?

Flotte: I think right now it’s probably the 300-meter hurdles, because it always surprises me and pushes me the most.

What do you like to have as a pre-meet meal?

Flotte: Usually the morning of a meet, I’ll have avocado toast with eggs for breakfast.

What do you do before a race to get into a racing mindset?

Flotte: I like to talk with my friends. That’s what always gets me ready to run. I also listen to a lot of rap music before meets.

What do you like to do in your free time?

Flotte: In my free time, I like playing basketball or just hanging out with my friends or playing Fortnite with my friends.