Maya Zolotariov is a senior and captain on the cross country team. Maya finished in third place in the PSAL City Championships Girls Individual 5K.
Maya has been a top runner on both the cross country team and as well as a long distance runner during track season. Her performance is outstanding. She is an active senior in school and on her cross country team.
Ever since she was a little girl, Zolotariov enjoyed running. She knew it was a passion of hers and continued to pursue it. Running for all four years of high school, she only continues to become better. She became captain of the cross country team in her junior year, alongside another captain, Guadalupe Abarca; the two also took on leadership as captains in track and field that same year. They both ran throughout all four years of high school.
The environment and people around Zolotariov influence her heavily. The people on her team encourage each other. She also has goals set for herself. Running helps her stay consistent with things that she wants.
Cross country, like other sports, helps build consistency through discipline, routine, and repetition. “It helps me to be consistent with something I want,” Zolotariov said.
Zolotariov’s goal is to continue her passion for running in college. She wants to focus mainly on running and hopes to go to a D1 or D2 college. Her preferred college to pursue her goals is Florida State University. She is considering colleges in Florida and California for hotter climates. Running pushes her to do her best.
She likes challenges, and what challenges her the most are her opponents and her coach Cyphert, who is always motivating her. Mr. Cyphert is proud of Zolotariov’s accomplishments and encourages Zolotariov to do her best.
He said, “Cross country has lots to do with self-motivation, internal determination, setting goals for yourself, making daily improvements, and holding yourself accountable.”
For Zolotariov, it was about trying to steadily improve week by week. Zolotariov has always been very determined in her sport. She didn’t really need outside influence. She has always been her own inspiration. She’s always been ambitious in doing her best with a dream of her own. At her last meet of the season, she set a personal record at Van Courtland Park.
