Estrella Medellin is a senior distance runner for the UTRGV Women’s Cross Country Team as well as a mid-distance runner for the Women’s Track & Field Team. Medellin is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice.
Q: What do you do for fun outside of cross country?
A: “I think, mainly, either go play with my roommates, which are my brother and my cousin, and my teammates. We go play at the rec or something or, honestly, just listen to music. We play basketball or volleyball or something. We just find something to do.”
Q: What kind of music do you like?
A: “I kind of listen to just about anything. So, like, I like country, reggaeton, Latin music mainly, I guess. Favorite artist, I mean, it’s always been Bad Bunny, Rauw [Alejandro], Myke Towers.”
Q: What movies or shows do you like?
A: “I’m usually very into horror movies. So, like, right now, I need to go see ‘The Nun.’ It just came out. Shows, I’m currently watching ‘El Chapo’ and, like, ‘Narcos.’”
Q: Who is one of your role models?
A: “Honestly, it’ll probably be my parents. They’re always working. Even though they’re always working, they always find a way to, like, still go to watch all our siblings. My other siblings are still in high school and elementary, and they still find ways to be at their events and everything. Four [siblings], I’m the oldest.”
Q: What motivates you?
A: “Since, I’m the oldest. I have to set the example. Being the first generation in my family to go to college too and being a student athlete, I really have to set the standard, I guess, and motivate my little sister, especially the little one.”
Q: Would you want to keep running cross country or do something with your degree?
A:. “I think, with my major, I kind of want to do more on, like, I guess, not really with track. I mean, maybe when I’m, like, set with a job and everything, maybe I’ll find a way to, like, give back to my community and have some sort of, like, program at Brownsville and, like, help out with that, running wise.”
Q: Do you have a fun fact about yourself?
A: “I do ranch with tamales. I guess that could be one, ranch with tamales. … I can put salsa, pero I prefer ranch. I love ranch.”
Q: What are some of your personal goals?
A: “For cross country, I just want to really be more up there compared to last year. Because, I guess, last year was an OK season. But, I mean, I feel like as I grow older, like, I feel like my time needed to improve even more. For track, I want to go at least a 2:10 in the [800-meter dash].”
–Compiled by Jose Medina
