Oswego East Student-Athlete of the Week-Monica Lopez

After moving to Oswego from Chicago in the 6th grade, senior Monica Lopez’s mom encouraged her to get involved in school activities. With cross country offered at Murphy Junior High, Monica thought it would be an excellent way to get involved and meet new people. What began as an opportunity for social interaction blossomed into a way of life for Monica. Monica’s rise to senior captain is rooted in her determination and hard work, which is why she is this week's Oswego East student-athlete of the week.

Coming into OE, Monica had an opportunity to lean on her sister, Jessica, a 2020 OE graduate, for support. “Monica has always admired Jessica’s determination never to let anything or anyone stop you from reaching your goals,” says their mother, Judy Lopez.

Monica’s journey to being a top 3 runner in the program was not cemented in stone when she first came to OE. “As a freshman, Monica was always the athlete to say yes,” says head coach Lisa Cook. She adds, “If we gave an expectation during a workout and then gave an option to do more, Monica would choose to do the additional rep or set every single time.”

It was in that year that Monica saw her time improve from 29:14 in her first race to 23:20, shaving almost 6 minutes off her time. “Oftentimes with running our girls can come in as a freshman and make the varsity,” says Lisa. She goes on to say, “What Monica brings to the team is the belief that with hard work and focused effort, you can improve and achieve your goals of high performance, regardless of how you start as a freshman. When we ask the current team who has inspired them and motivated them to do better, the first answer is usually Monica Lopez.”

For Monica, running became a cathartic experience for her during the pandemic. “I didn’t run track my sophomore year, and I took time to run on my own, which is when I found out I really liked it and realized I could be pretty good in the sport,” says Monica.

Monica’s improvement is validation for any athlete who looks for results from the work they do when no one is watching. She holds the 13th fastest time in OE history for the girl’s cross country team at Detweiller Park with a time of 18:43. Her individual goal was to run a sub 19:00 minute 3 mile, and now that she has achieved that goal, she has set a new goal of running 18:15 and making the all-conference team.

Monica’s continued improvement allowed her to improve from being around the 30th best runner in the program as a freshman and sophomore to a top 10 runner as a junior, and now top 3 as a senior. When Monica bought in fully to the sport, she became more analytical about her approach to improvement. “Monica does her research and knows her competition,” says Lisa. She goes on to say, “Monica looks at race results, analyzes how races break down, and really is a student of the sport.”

The analytical approach Monica takes to running is an approach that stems from her habits as a person and a student. “Monica has always been inquisitive and eager to learn how things work and is often found reading a book in her spare time,” says Judy.

Monica’s inquisitive nature has helped steer her in the direction of her future career in the medical field. Judy is a cardiac nurse and has often shared stories with Monica about her experiences. “Monica has always enjoyed listening to my stories from work, and she has joined me on a few of my medical trips,” says Judy. She goes on to say, “Monica is also a people person who enjoys learning and chatting with everyone. I truly believe she will become what she sets her goals to be.”

Those goals include attending college with intention of running cross country and track, as well as majoring in Biology on a Pre-Med track with the intention of going to medical school and becoming either a cardiologist or oncologist. “I’ve always been really interested in the stories my mom has shared with me, and since running deals a lot with the heart, being a doctor brings together two things I’m passionate about,” says Monica.

Robyn Mellas, Monica’s Anatomy and Physiology teacher from junior year, believes Monica has what it takes to succeed in the medical field, saying, “Monica is really responsible about staying on top of her school work and managing her time well.” She goes on to say, “Monica is intelligent and hardworking. I think she would do great in the healthcare field because not only is she knowledgeable but also personable. It is important for doctors to build a good rapport with their patients, and I think Monica will be great at that.”

Before moving on to college, Monica would like to see her and her teammates qualify for the state meet, something she believes they have a very good shot at achieving. Reflecting on her time at OE, she advises future Wolves too, “Get involved in activities and surround yourself with people who will make you a better person, and don’t be afraid to work hard.” Monica has never been one to shy away from hard work, and because of that, she has positioned herself to etch her name in the school history book.