San Dimas High School Senior, Alex Hamilton, would’ve never once thought that track and field would become the sport that he would finish off his high school career in. Before becoming the school record-holder for the 400-meter race with a time of 49.6 seconds, Alex had spent his early high school years on the basketball court, a sport he thought would be forever and would eventually lead him to college. However, after several years of balancing multiple sports, Alex finally found his heart in something that would eventually transform his athletic career. What started as feeling overlooked quickly turned into one of the best decisions of his life, making him one of San Dimas High School’s athletic greats.

As a freshman, Hamilton had to balance football, basketball, and track, but basketball was his heart; it was his main priority. “It was my first love,” Hamilton said. “Being able to play basketball, I had so much fun.” After his first year, Alex decided to step away from football; he felt it wasn’t in his best interest and didn’t align with his ambitions. At the time, Hamilton used track as a secondary sport to improve his endurance and cardio for basketball: “I only did track to stay in shape for basketball, I did not take it seriously,” Hamilton said. He viewed basketball as the sport that would lead him to collegiate sports, while track remained merely an option or for fun.

Although basketball was Alex’s main focus, his track journey was rocky and involved multiple changes throughout high school. He decided to step away from track to commit to basketball fully: “Track was taking too much time, and I felt that I needed to focus on basketball,” Hamilton said. Even though Alex had the tools to become a great in track, he decided to follow his heart. Alex saw himself as a basketball player, and track was just an option. Hamilton slowly began shifting his perspective. “The program was stacked with multiple good players. I knew I didn’t stand a chance,” Hamilton said. “I was sad, like, how could they do this? I’m going to take this anger out on the track.” What started as frustration quickly turned into optimism that a new opportunity was opening up, as he slowly realized that his potential lies in track and field.

Entering his senior season, Alex decided to commit fully to track and field. The decision was right, and he dominated his senior season. “This year was fun, I felt like I did a lot,” Hamilton said. “I didn’t get worse than third place this whole season.” Hamilton broke free of his shell; he broke the 400-meter record with a time of 49.6 seconds, a moment that completely changed how he viewed the sport. “Setting the record helped me realize I have potential,” Hamilton said. “It helped set the base for success for me.”

Now, Alex is planning the next step in continuing his athletic career. He hopes to play at the collegiate level and is going to walk on to the track and field team. Alex understands that even though many hardships will come his way, he will not let them define him, and he is ready to endure any challenges and cherish the opportunities that come his way. “I’m excited for a new wave of competition,” Hamilton said. “I want to be pushed at every track meet and compete against hard competition.” Looking back on his journey from a multi-sport athlete to a school record-holder, Alex hopes to inspire the next generation of multi-sport and track athletes to focus on what they are passionate about and to pursue their potential. “Don’t stop when it gets hard, push through adversity,” Hamilton said. “Follow your heart and believe in yourself.”