Season Interrupted: Evelyn Allison has earth-shaking plans
Throughout the spring, The Times will interview high school seniors whose athletic careers were cut short by the coronavirus outbreak.
Name: Evelyn Allison
School: Orange El Modena
Sport: Track and field, shot put/discus.
Key stats: Four-year varsity performer who finished second in league play in 2019.
Fall plans: Will attend UC San Diego.
On the season being canceled:
“It was very heartbreaking. I had worked four years to have a senior season and get some college recognition and it was all blown away with COVID. It’s kind of hard to put into words. When you train for such an individualized sports and you love it and it’s such a unique sport. ... I went, ‘Wow, I had my last meet without knowing it.’ â€
On life without sports:
“It’s pretty sad. Getting out and being active and seeing the people while throwing is a big part of my life and helps me stay happy and active.â€
On training without a shot put at home:
“It’s very hard unless you personally own those implements to throw or have space to throw. Training is running, jogging, stretching, practicing technique.â€
Where she sees herself in 10 years:
“I want to be a volcanologist with a masters or Ph.D. in geology. I’d love to do research in Yellowstone.â€
On her interest in volcanoes:
“When I was little I always had a fascination with that stuff. When I visited Yellowstone, I was in elementary school and loved it. I wanted to be a nurse and thought, ‘Well, I hate going to the doctor.’ I thought I might as well major in something I have an interest in. I’ve always loved volcanoes and earthquakes. Why not pursue a career in that?’’
Stock-market watcher Marisol Torro has seen her Olympic stock climb, but her goals go further — in 10 years she’s hoping to “help mitigate climate change.â€
On the new things she’s discovered with her free time:
“The one new thing I learned is my grandma has been teaching me mahjong.â€
On the lessons she’s learned:
“I think I’ll definitely be a better student. Having to adapt quickly to all this change has made me realize I need to get on top of my work and not procrastinate.â€
Video interviews of each athlete can be found at latimes.com/sports/highschool.
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