Sports

Smart, Strong And All-American

EHS 2012 alum AnnaMarie Forza is an Academic All-American in track and field.

AnnaMarie Forza is no stranger to having to fight for success. During her years of track and field at Enumclaw High School, she had a compressed spine issue but finished third at the state meet in 2012, her senior year.

Now, Forza faces new challenges: studying graphic design at Northwest Nazarene University and competing at a higher level in the javelin throw. So far, she has excelled. She won Academic All-American honors from the United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association this year.

"With college track, you have three practices a day, the weight lifting, the conditioning and the technique practices," Forza said. "Sometimes it means a lot of sleepless nights, staying up till three a.m. doing homework. But everyone on the team is so awesome.”

Forza earned the All-American nod by reaching an NCAA national qualifying mark in the javelin and having a GPA above 3.25. NNU is a member of NCAA Division II.

Her ambitions don't stop at this award. From high school onward, Forza has never been completely satisfied with her performance.

“I wanted to win state in high school, but it was one of those things that never happened," Forza said. "I’m actually glad I didn’t, because it kept pushing me to throw farther and helped me get the scholarship."

With three years remaining in college, Forza hopes to score points in the national competition and finish with a GPA of 3.7 or higher.

And her career goals?

"I just want to work for any branch of Disney for designing things, commercials or anything," she said. "I’m still a Disney nut, even though I’m 19 years old.”


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