Senior Ashley Quinn is an avid athlete who has a true love for running.

She began her journey of running in elementary and middle school doing short sprints. She started creeping up in distances when she got to high school and college. 

“This was intimidating in the beginning, but the slow progression made it more manageable,” Quinn said. “You just run hard, and it’s just chasing that personal record and the team atmosphere of everyone wanting to do their best.” 

Quinn is a graphic design major and plans on doing one more year of her undergrad. She’s already achieved so much, as she broke the 800-meter school record and is looking to repeat.

Quinn looks up to her coach, Paul Rice, who lives and breathes Oakland, being the head coach for over 25 years. Having him as a mentor, the lessons she has learned from him continue to guide her. 

“He wants the best for us,” Quinn said. “I am inspired by how dedicated he is.”

Quinn’s support system has created such a positive impact on her, developing and building relationships that she hopes to have for a lifetime.

Outside of running, her mom has been by her side throughout her journey as a track star, as well. 

“She is a super hard worker, so even that can translate to running or other other aspects of life,” Quinn said. 

“The best part about being a runner is representing the university and being able to represent my teammates,” Quinn said. “Not everyone runs your event, so you have to represent your team in that event, and I just try to put on the best that I can. It’s nice to see all of the hard work that me and my teammates have done pay off.” 

Quinn is very disciplined, which has built her character, and she doesn’t let any distractions stop her grind. When she is done running for Oakland, she wants to be remembered as a person who was a good teammate and a hard worker that younger people can look up to.

Her advice to younger athletes is to remember to just enjoy yourself while you’re out there and do your best no matter what. 

“I just try to remind myself why I started to run,” Quinn said. “I didn’t start running to say that I wanted to run at the collegiate level — I started running because I thought it was fun.”