San Marcos’ Erica Schroeder
San Marcos’ Erica Schroeder achieved a rare feat for a freshman this spring by winning a CIF D3 championship in the 800 meters. Royals head coach Marilyn Hantgin can’t remember the last time a local high school athlete won a CIF track & field title as a ninth grader.
Schroeder takes it in stride, almost oblivious to the significance of the accomplishment.
“It’s nice to have someone that does the right thing, works really hard, and is successful,” Hantgin said.
Her athletic ability and competitive nature were immediately evident as Schroeder never lost an 800 race in Channel League this season.
“She’s kind of serious and shy, but you get her in a workout, and she’s just brutal,” Hantgin said. “The poor boys are like, ‘what’s with this girl, she’s kicking my butt’. And she doesn’t even like losing to boys in practice. She’s super competitive with everyone.”
The competitive spirit is in her blood, after all, as Schroeder comes from an impressive athletic background. Her father, Rich, is an Olympic gold-medal winning swimmer. Her mother, Dawn, was an NCAA swimmer for UCLA and UCSB, and qualified for two Olympic Trials. Her older brother, Grant, is a water polo player at Stanford.
The youngest Schroeder chose to break the family mold and focus on the track rather than the pool.
“Our team is really supportive, and I have really good coaches who are supportive, so that’s a big part of why I enjoyed (track & field) a lot,” Schroeder said. “But also, I just like the competitiveness of it.”
Schroeder has a shot at breaking the San Marcos school record in the 800 held by Kristen Twichler (2:12). Schroeder’s personal best of 2:15.30 came at CIF Prelims.
“I think she could get it next year if she really wanted it,” Hangtin said.
Despite just getting her track career started, Schroeder seems to have her heart set on the 800.
“The 800 is definitely my favorite event but I’m probably going to do the mile a lot more next year,” Schroeder said. “The 4×400 I like a lot too. It’s just fun to be on a team.”
Find past High School Runners of the Month HERE
The High School Runner of the Month award recognizes local prep runners that exemplify the term “Student-Athlete” by demonstrating leadership, passion and excellence in high school athletics. The annual campaign recognizes athletes from March through November.
Thanks to Santa Barbara Running Company for making this award possible and for supporting local athletes.
