Sophomore Gianna Sbarbaro has proven herself to be an inspirational runner with strong dedication that led her to becoming the first Torero among both men and women to qualify for the NCAA Cross Country Championship. However, there is much more to her story.
Starting her sports career as a soccer player, Sbarbaro first saw her passion for running emerge in sixth grade while running on the off-road dirt trails of O’ahu, Hawai’i and having a parent bike beside her during runs around the neighborhood. At first, running was just a part of training to make herself a faster player out on the soccer field.