Their passion consumes their time, but twins Alyssa and Anginae Monteverde wouldn't have it any other way.
"We have lots of friends, but we joke that during track season we don't have any friends," said Anginae. "Between academics and training, there just isn't a lot of time."
That's just the way it is for the pair from
Clovis West (Fresno, Calif.) – arguably the most successful twins competing in high school track and field today.
"It's our passion and we love it," said Alyssa, the older of the two by 90 seconds. "Coaches work us hard, but it's worth it. I love track. Being able to compete as a team, win as a team and compete individually and win individually is a great feeling."
Anginae, who improved her pole vault 30 inches from her sophomore year best 10 feet to 12-6 as a junior, added, "Track gives you that feeling of excitement, making the bar and exciting everyone. It's that nervousness of being on the starting line or that third attempt. It's just all happening so fast. It's so rewarding."
Alyssa has personal bests of 13.89 seconds in the 100 meter high hurdles and 42 flat in the 300 low hurdles when she took silver at the California championships. Her time was 11th fastest nationally in 2010.
Additionally, Alyssa was the national runner-up in the heptathlon at the 2010 USATF National Junior Olympics by scoring 4,848 points, highlighted by a 14.49 time in the high hurdles. She also has a personal best of 5-7 in the high jump.
Anginae placed sixth in the state finals in 2010 with her 12-6 vault, the top mark among returnees this year. She was a state qualifier in the HH (14.97) and has long jumped 17-1.5.
And, like Alyssa, Anginae has competed in the heptathlon. To say they push one another might be an understatement.
"We're very competitive with one another ... ever since we were younger," said Alyssa, a member of the student athletic council. "Up until last year, we stayed away from the same events. But now, we both hurdle, both jump. We compete. We push each other. I wouldn't be who I am without her pushing me."
Clovis West coach Martin Palavicini said what makes the girls successful is their coachability. "They love to be coached. I've been coaching here for 15 years, and athletes like them don't come around very often. They listen to every detail."
Their individual success helped Clovis West (enrollment 2,600) win back-to-back Valley Championships and set point-total records in the process.
Palachini said, "Everyone just loves being around them. Whatever they do, they will be successful. Their potential is their big upside - they are far from burned out.
"And did I mention Anginae and Alyssa are also straight-A students," added Palachini. "They are the complete package."
Earlier this year, the twins turned down Stanford and BYU and signed with the University of Oregon on track scholarships. But both earning college track scholarships is something of a new development.
Prior to the start of their junior seasons, attending college and competing in track seemed like a sure thing for Alyssa, but was far from Anginae's plans.
Admittedly a late bloomer to grab the attention of college track coaches, Anginae said, "coaches have been interested in Alyssa ever since she was a freshman and it has always been her dream to compete in college. But it was different for me. I felt it was way out of my reach. Honestly, I never thought of it happening."
Anginae figured she'd go to a smaller college or join her older sister at BYU and not have track in her life. She figured Alyssa would most certainly compete somewhere at a high level. Life as they knew it would have been greatly different.
"It would've been a huge change considering we have been together all our lives," the sisters echoed one another. "We have the same friends and have always done the same sports so it would have been really hard being apart."
That changed when Anginae learned new vaulting drills between her sophomore and junior years. The focus was more high bar gymnastic work, more weight training and more speed work. That made it easier to move to bigger poles. The result was a 30-inch improvement, a school vault record and a state placing.
And the colleges came calling for Anginae as well as Alyssa.
The twins said the signing decision was difficult, but Oregon's track history was important.
"On our visit (to Oregon) it just seemed right," said Alyssa. "I could picture myself there. We just felt comfortable with the coaches."
For the Ducks, Alyssa is expected to compete in the heptathlon and Anginae in the pole vault. But both were quick to admit a willingness to help the team wherever they can. It's just as they do at Clovis West, often called upon to run in the 4x100 and 4x400 relays.
Not surprisingly, each has expressed an interest in studying human physiology with a possible career in sports medicine, physical therapy or as an athletic trainer.
Today, neither sister can imagine life without track. Both, however, are quick to say they love all sports and especially loved cheer competitions.
"We played everything when we were young. But we realized when we got to high school we'd have to narrow what we participated in and we chose track and volleyball," said Alyssa, a former shortstop and point guard. Anginae was a softball pitcher, and forward in basketball. Both were midfielders in soccer.
Their first introduction in track was in third grade at Fresno's Nelson Elementary School when teacher Monica Brewer invited all the third graders to come see the elementary school's track team compete.
"She (Brewer) recruited early. She wanted a big track team. She knew we liked to run and jump," said Anginae of Brewer. "She has been a great supporter of ours."
The twins were active in all sports through eighth grade, then realized to be successful at the high school level, they would have to narrow their options. The track passion easily won out.
"We really enjoyed all the sports, but track is where our passion is," said Alyssa, who was a first-team All-Tri River Athletic Conference pick as a middle blocker where she had 248 kills, 141 digs, 53 blocks, 18 assists and 11 aces while helping the Golden Eagles capture the league volleyball title.
As for the spring season, the goals are lofty. Alyssa wants to break 42 in the lows and win state gold, lower her 13.89 in the highs, and better her 5-7 in the high jump.
For the summer season, she wants to break 5,000 in the heptathlon with that goal set for the Junior Olympic Nationals to be held at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon.
Anginae wants to clear 13 feet, better 14.5 in the highs and reach 18 feet in the long jump.
At Saturday's 14-team Sanger Spring Relays, Anginae got off to a strong 2011 start winning the 100 HH by 10 meters in a meet-record time of 15.29 and clearing 12 feet for another meet record in the pole vault. She also took second in the long jump.
Alyssa is pampering a sore quad and competed only in the high jump, jumping well enough to win at 5-0; she also ran a leg on the 4x100 team.
The 12-foot vault is the top mark in California this season.
The twins' parents, Catherine and Ron, say they've always supported the girls in their sports activities, but have never guided their direction.
"We tell them to always be honest, kind, humble and most of all be a good example to friends and other athletes," said Catherine. "They are very competitive so we just tell them ‘Good Luck and have Fun.'"
She adds that they are smart, fun loving, competitive and "have an amazing twin bond. They show great character everywhere they go. We've been watching them compete for years and love it. They are just great girls and we are very proud to be their parents."
"We are a very active and competing family," said Catherine. "Nobody likes to lose."
For the twins, it certainly shows on the track.
