Northville track star Alex Scappaticci is as modest as she is fast
Northville High School sophomore-to-be Alex Scappaticci is one of the most-accomplished distance runners in Michigan.
Northville sophomore-to-be Alex Scappaticci has been a frequent flyer this summer — both on the track and in the air.
Since Summer Break kicked in last month, Scappaticci has flown to Seattle, Philadelphia and Eugene, Oregon, for national invitational meets that showcase the talents of the best of the best high school runners throughout the country.
After bursting onto the track-and-field scene as a middle school national champion in the mile while competing for Meads Mill Middle School, Scappaticci is quickly following a flight path that could lead to — who knows? — representing the United States in big-time international meets a few years down the road.
She did way more than just show up for the high-profile competitions, turning in top-10 finishes in several events.
Humble star
And just as impressive as the 14-year-old’s athletic feats is her genuine modesty.
Boasting about her accomplishments just isn’t in the easy-to-smile teen’s DNA.
“I just try to have fun and enjoy it,” she said, when asked about her legs-churning exploits.
“She doesn’t get nervous, even for the big meets,” revealed her mom, Sonia. “I watch the start of the races, but I usually talk to other parents in the middle of the races because I’m so nervous. I guess I’m a typical parent as far as that goes.”
Racing at iconic venues
In the Brooks PR Invitational held at Renton Stadium in Seattle on June 7, Scappaticci placed seventh in the freshmen 1,600 run and 1,500 with respective times of 4:47.84 and 4:29.46.
She followed that up with a third-place showing in the freshman 1-mile run at the New Balance Nationals held at the iconic Franklin Field in Philadelphia and a second-place effort in the freshmen 3,000 meters run (9:55.10).
Scappaticci capped her trip to Philly with a third-place finish in the freshmen two-mile run (10:34.49).
The fabulous freshman’s summer track & field journey ended at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, with a second-place time of 2:15.42 in the 800-meter run.
“It’s fun because I get to race against a lot of the same girls at all the national meets,” Scappaticci said about her unique summer experience. “We all cool down together, so I get to know them a little bit and we connect on social media together.”
Scappaticci and her fellow Brooks PR competitors were presented with $1,500 in running gear.
“They pay for all of the airfare, hotels and food, too,” Sonia Scappaticci added. “They’re quite generous to the runners and their families.”
A star is born
Sonia Scappaticci said her daughter’s explosion onto the national running scene came out of nowhere.
“When she started competing for the track team at Meads Mill, Alex was running in a pair of generic athletic shoes — they weren’t even running shoes,” Sonia said, smiling. “Once she started putting up great times, another parent said, ‘You have to buy her some better shoes because this young lady is a runner.”
When did Scappaticci first have an inkling she was pretty good at long-distance running?
“Probably in sixth grade when I did well in a few meets,” she said.
Sonia Scappaticci credited Meads Mill track & field coach Evan Paputa with helping her daughter’s transition into the fast lane.
“Evan was great,” she said. “He didn’t have a lot of experience coaching track when Alex was there, but what he didn’t know about the sport, he researched it. He played a big role in her success.”
Sweat equity
Scappaticci’s accolades have been the result of hard work and a few sacrifices.
She runs up to 40-something miles per week while in training and wakes up just after dawn in the summer for 7 a.m. cross country practices.
A formidable soccer player, too, she played her last match earlier this year so that she can dedicate more time to track.
“This past spring, for instance, she would run in meets then we would take her to soccer practice with the Michigan Jaguars, who are great with dual-sport athletes,” Sonia said. “Then she’d come home from soccer practice and do her homework before going to bed. She loves soccer, but she decided to give it up because her schedule was getting a little too crazy.”
Great student, too
Scappaticci’s busy agenda hasn’t diminished her academic efforts.
“I did pretty well (grade-point-average-wise) my freshman year,” Scappaticci said.
Translated: “Pretty well” meant a 4.0 GPA during her first year of high school.
Alex Scappaticci is as humble as she is fast.
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.
