In his collegiate debut, Freshman Sprinter and Accounting major Miguel Rosario III set a new Seattle University Track & Field record for the indoors 60 meter dash. 

During the preliminaries of the 60m at the Jan. 14 University of Washington (UW) Preview, Rosario ran his race in 6.90 seconds, breaking the school record by 0.02 seconds. He then clocked a time of 6.84 seconds in the finals, shattering his own record and securing his spot as the holder of the two fastest times in Seattle U history. 

In addition to his 60m record at the UW Preview, Rosario ran the 200 meters in 22.09 seconds. This performance put him fourth on the Seattle U indoor top-10 list. Most recently, at the Jan. 27 and Jan. 28 UW Invitational, Rosario moved to third on the top-10 list after running the 200m sprint in 22.03 seconds. 

TO: Can you talk about your journey to get here? 

MR: I’ve been running track since I was eight, so it’s been about 10 years. I’ve been doing this for most of my life. High school was when I realized that I could really do something with this [speed]. In my junior year, I ran some pretty fast times. That was when I started to get into the recruiting process and went through all of that. Then, during my senior year, I committed [to Seattle U]. 

TO: Why did you choose to come to Seattle U?

MR: I just wanted to be close to home. I’m from Renton, Washington, so it’s not too far. [Seattle U] is a Division I school and I liked the team, so I decided to go for it.

TO: What do you like about Seattle U?

MR: I like the sense of a small community because it’s not a big school. You can actually talk to your professors. They know who you are and you can have that connection with them. I have been spending a lot of time with the team and everyone has been pretty cool so far. 

TO: Which events do you race?

MR: I do sprints. So, the 100 meters and 200m. And then during the indoors [ season], I run the 60m and 200m.

TO: What has the transition from high school to college athletics been like?

MR: To be honest, it wasn’t a huge difference. I feel like we have a solid team, which is different from high school. So, having a good community to train with makes me better and also makes them better.

TO: You set a new school record for the 60m dash, Jan. 14. What did that feel like?

MR: It was pretty cool, everyone was congratulating me. Setting school records was one of my goals since I got here, so it was cool to achieve that. 

TO: As a true freshman, how have you been able to find success so quickly? 

MR: It was probably just my mindset. Ever since I graduated from high school, I knew that going into college athletics was going to be more serious than high school. I really had to lock in. Hard work and determination have gotten me to this point.

TO: What has been your favorite part of being on the Seattle U track team?

MR: Probably the sense of community. I feel like the team is a family. The team is pretty cool, they’re all nice to hang around, and they’re all supportive.

TO: What are your goals for the remainder of the season?

MR: I have specific times I want to hit for each race. For the 60m, I want to have a time of 6.77 seconds. And then for the 200m indoor, I want a time of 21.69 seconds. I also just want to set more school records and try to put my name into Seattle U history. I’m grateful to be in the position that I’m in and am ready for what the future holds.

With at least three more years of eligibility, Rosario has his sights set on setting more records. The team will compete at the Husky Invitational Feb. 10 and Feb. 11, where Rosario is looking to impress yet again.