Growing up in Napa, Lea Wallace always had a strong passion for sports, but her passion for track started when her high school teacher pointed out she had an outstanding running ability.

 

Wallace transferred from Cal Poly, where she had high hopes. However, she never realized those hopes there. She ended up on Sacramento State’s indoor track & field team as a result.

 

She was encouraged to run track early in her life by one of her physical education teachers.

 

“I used to have to run a timed mile in P.E. I always ran a fast mile time so my P.E. teacher kept getting on my case about going out for the team, and eventually I caved,” she said.Wallace also played soccer and was a dancer until she had to have hip surgery.

 

Within the first two years of college life in Southern California, Wallace said she realized the goals she had made for track were not going as planned.

 

“I decided that after two years of Cal Poly that it wasn’t the place for me,” she said. “After my sophomore season, I started exploring other options. I talked to (assistant coach) Scott Abbott, and it sounded like Sac State was a much better opportunity for me.”Wallace said her decision to move back to Northern California was something she needed.

 

“I just didn’t have a good experience there, so I knew I needed to change something. I needed to get out of that situation to be successful. I just needed a fresh start,” she said.Since Wallace has enrolled at Sac State, she has noticed improvement in both her goals and self-esteem.

 

“When I came to Sacramento, my confidence was low coming in as an athlete just because I didn’t experience the kind of success that I thought I would in my first two years of college at Cal Poly,” she said. “Just getting back into the racing scene and trying to regain the confidence that you need in track was an adjustment for me.”

 

Although change can sometimes be a difficult transition for some people, Wallace was glad to admit she felt relief.

 

“One of the things that has changed drastically for me is my relationship with my coach,” she said. “Sac State has a Division I program that’s rare, because I have a coach that really cares about me as an individual. At Cal Poly, I was just a body. I was just there to run, and when I wasn’t running, I was just kind of swept under the rug.”

 

Teammate Erin Lewis said Wallace has handled transferring from another school well.”Just coming out transferring is always hard and she’s done a great job transitioning,” Lewis said. “She’s really moving her way up to the top, and its really exciting to see how much she’s progressed since she’s been here.”

 

Wallace said while there were moments she felt accomplished at her former college, it wasn’t the satisfaction she needed.

 

“I know that my (former) coach has always seen that talent,” she said. “I won the Big West conference my freshman year at Cal Poly, but that was very unexpected. It was an upset. But that wasn’t my overall experience. It was one race. Here, I’ve been able to be consistent and performing at a much higher level than I was there. I think a lot of it has to do with being well-adjusted and happier.”

 

Lewis said Wallace is a hard worker and passionate.

 

“You can tell during competitions she’s really focused,” Lewis said. “She’s always wanting to do the best for her team. She’s always stepping up when the coach needs her and she’s always getting the job done.”

 

Abbott said her initiative to do well both on and off the track have helped her to be both a better person and athlete.

 

“She definitely has become a more well-rounded athlete, and I think that has really helped her in her main event, which is the 800,” he said. “She’s matured a lot as a person and she really approaches the sport in a very mature way as far as getting her body ready and taking care of it. Approaching the sports is top notch and I think that’s really helped her progress.”

 

Wallace said she could not have accomplished her goals without her coach at Sac State.”Coach Abbott held my hand through the process of getting adjusted both academically and athletically,” she said.

 

She qualified for nationals this year, but also has higher goals.

 

“I would like to make USA nationals outdoor this year. I also would definitely like to try and be All-American,” she said.

 

Abbott said he Wallace’s qualities have gotten her a long way in a short amount of time. “For someone who has only been here a year and coming in as a transfer student that can be somewhat of a difficult position, and she’s just done such a good job earning respect from her teammates and her coaches,” he said. “She’s been elected team captain for this track season, and I can’t think of a better person to be captain of our team. It’s always great when your highest performing athletes are also your best leaders and she really sets a great example for all the other girls.”

 

Wallace said if she had to give advice to other runners, it would be to never give up.”Even when you’re frustrated with your performances or how things are going, just stick with it because you never know what could happen,” she said.

 

Since Wallace has joined the Sac State track and field team, she’s noticed qualities she never knew she had before.

 

“I’ve always been an introvert,” she said. “I’ve always kept to myself and been shy. Getting into the sport has given me a lot of confidence that I wouldn’t see myself having without track.”

 

Abbott said the process of helping her adjust to a new school has been worth it.”She had kind of a rocky situation at Cal Poly so when we first got her here a lot of it was just getting her back comfortable and confident and that was a lot of what we spent last year doing,” Abbott said. “Since we got her back on track, this year she has just kind of taken off from there. We knew she was good, but she definitely has exceeding our expectations.”

 

Ashley O’Con can be reached at [email protected]