One hometown athlete who launched her running career in Coronado has advanced in momentous strides beyond running track.
Teresa Perez graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Portland in May. This fall, Perez will return as a Pilot and continue her college running career as she begins her Master of Business Administration (MBA) program.
“I’m super passionate about exploring how to combine my technical engineering skills with my interpersonal soft skills,” Perez said in an interview with The Coronado News in early August.
Perez mirrors that excitement following academic recognition and running triumphs at Coronado High School that paved the way for merit and athletic scholarships for a college journey that began four years ago.
“I ran cross country and track in high school and from there I was able to work hard and practice every day to be able to receive D1 scholarships for multiple colleges,” said Perez. “I was offered both a President’s merit scholarship as well as an athletic scholarship to come and run for the school during my [undergrad] studies.”
Graduate student-athlete
Perez said the MBA program is two years – the same amount of time as her remaining college eligibility.
“I’m able to run two more full years in a Portland uniform,” she said. “I’m super excited.”
Perez’s athletic participation in college was delayed due to red-shirting her freshman year and college sports being canceled across much of the country her sophomore year because of COVID.
“I still competed and trained with the team, but I didn’t do any races in a Portland uniform,” explained Perez.
The span “allowed me to adjust to the new training and new program and really focus in on how engineering classes work,” added Perez.
Surpassing high school best times
During the fall, Perez participates in cross country, followed by indoor track in the winter and outdoor track in the spring.
The mid-distance runner considers this past year her best track and cross-country season ever, with big jumps in personal best times.
Perez made the top seven travel team for cross-country and ranked among the top six and top nine of all time at the University of Portland.
In high school, Perez ran the 5k at 18:15, but in the 6k for college women, Perez marked an overall 21:06 time, over half a minute faster with 17:34 at the 5k mark.
“That was exciting to be able to make the top seven as well as see huge improvements in my running personal records,” Perez said.
Perez lowered her 800-meter time, a two-lap race, by four seconds, going from 2:13 in high school to 2:09 this past season.
There are still lots of areas to improve…I’m excited to have two more years to keep lowering that time.”
-Former Coronado star athlete and University of Portland runner Teresa Perez.
“I feel very strong about doing it and there are still lots of areas to improve,” said Perez. “I’m excited to have two more years to keep lowering that time.”
Additionally, she reached new milestones for another race.
In high school, Perez ran the mile at 5:03, but now holds it at 4:50.
“I was super excited to show how far I had come from high school, despite all the highs and lows throughout my first three, four years in college,” said Perez. “It was super rewarding.”
“Best ever girl’s team”
Perez—captain of both the Coronado High School cross-country and distance track teams her junior and senior years—and eight teammates made history as CIF Girls’ San Diego Section Division II Champions in 2018.
CHS Head Cross Country and Track Distance Coach George Green believes that Perez and her younger brother, Adam, made quite an impact at Coronado High School, with Adam as the 2023 Valedictorian and Teresa as a runner who holds the school’s distance records.
Perez holds the 800 meters, 1,600 meters, and 3,200 meters and 2-mile run records in track, and she holds the 3.11 miles record in cross county. She also was part of Coronado’s Distance Medley Relay record setting team in 2018 with a 12:50.36 time.
“In 2018, we had our best ever girl’s team,” Green told The Coronado News.
According to the Coronado Islander’s website, each of the nine-member CIF Champion team from 2018 held at least one school record, either as an individual or as a member of a relay team.
Perez was one of the top seven runners on the cross-country and track teams, and she was recognized for some of the best finishes throughout all four years of high school.
“When I look back, I don’t only see my own name, but it reminds me of my whole team throughout the four years I was there because they were amazing training partners,” said the 2019 Coronado Islander graduate. “They were really the ones that pushed me… I couldn’t have done it without them.”
Future CEO
Family, coaches, and teammates have all inspired and supported Perez throughout her athletic and academic journey, she said.
The Coronado community, I’m just super grateful for it, for helping both me and my brother realize our passions.”
-Teresa Perez.
“The Coronado community, I’m just super grateful for it, for helping both me and my brother realize our passions,” said Perez.
In her last two years at CHS, Perez also was involved in the Health Occupations Students of America club and served as president in her senior year, winning gold medals for healthy lifestyle and heart disease awareness projects at state and international competitions.
Beyond athletics, the 21-year-old is a current Quality Management intern at Intel Corp. and shared a personal goal for her future work in management.
“I hope to be a CEO one day and inspire others,” said Perez. “My parents and both Coronado taught me to find those talents,… master it, and to share it with the world to make it a better place.”
