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Rosario is trying to stay in step
By FRANK PASTOR
"Hey, you're on television," Rosario said. "You're Gayle Sierens." "Yeah," Sierens replied. "Oh my gosh," Rosario said. "I want to be a news reporter." "I think that's funny, because most people say they want to be news anchors," Rosario said Sierens told her. "They think, "Oh, I want to be on TV.' I think it's good that you want to be a news reporter." It's just like Rosario, always striving for more. As if carrying a 3.6 cumulative GPA, qualifying for a Florida Bright Futures Scholarship, serving as president of the Senior Class and Spanish National Honor Society, singing the national anthem before basketball and volleyball events and participating in DECA, ROTC and yearbook weren't enough, Rosario has a new pursuit. Not content merely being a successful hurdler, the senior and track co-captain is determined to lower her times by reducing her steps between hurdles. "She wants to be a good athlete, she works hard at it and she has the desire to want to be good," Central coach Richard Ortiz said. "I think probably her biggest drawback is she has a tendency to overextend herself. You have to learn how to say, "I can only do certain things so that I can excel in those.' " Rosario's fastest time in the 100-meter high hurdles was 16.9 seconds her freshman year. She won the event in the Springstead Invitational two weeks ago in 17.7, which is comparable to her best performances last season. But Rosario wants to run in the low 16s, which will require her to eliminate two steps between hurdles. "It's not so much speed, it's technique," Rosario said. "If you get the technique down, you can beat somebody that has better speed, because they don't have the form and they get stuck on it. They're not pulling their trail leg fast enough." Ortiz said a hurdler has to "three-step" to compete at the highest levels. He saw proof of that in the Steak 'N Shake Invitational last weekend at the University of South Florida, where the fastest times were in the 14s and 15s. "The difference is, you spend more time on the ground," Ortiz said. "The next (step) is five. You're spending too much time, so you're going to stretch out. That means she's going to have to run fast, and she has to reach." It won't be easy. As a freshman, Rosario tied for fourth at the regional meet and was 1/10th of a second from qualifying for state while taking five steps between hurdles. "It was really upsetting," Rosario said. "The next year, I was determined to try to make it to states and redeem my name." Rosario's coach at the time told her she had a better chance of qualifying for state by reducing her steps. But she didn't stretch well enough before practices and pulled the tendons in her hips, ending her sophomore season. After completing physical therapy, Rosario began preparing for her junior year as soon as volleyball season ended. But fear of re-injuring her hip prevented her from "three-stepping," and she was eliminated in the district meet. Rosario hopes eliminating those extra steps will allow her to avoid a repeat performance. "It's like you're learning hurdles all over from the beginning," she said. "That's how I feel, like I"m just learning them all over again, so it's kind of discouraging a little bit." Rosario's transition should be eased by the presence of former Massachusetts Institute of Technology athletic director Dick Hill, who joined Central's coaching staff this season. Hill is hands on, going so far as to jump over hurdles to demonstrate techniques. "He demonstrates everything," Rosario said. "He'll explain it to you until you get it." Ortiz said 16 seconds is a reasonable goal for Rosario since she is running in the 17s. Whether she reaches her goal or not, Rosario hopes to continue to run track next year at USF. She plans to study broadcast journalism. "I think I'm really good with people, and I think I have a pretty good personality," Rosario said. "I did yearbook, and we always had to interview our classmates, and I really liked it a lot." Just ask Gayle Sierens.
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