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THE PERFORMER: TWCA captain Calimani playing her own tune
TWCA HAS HAD A LEGENDARY CROSS-COUNTRY PROGRAM BUILT BY COACH TOM EARLE. THE ALL-STATE NAMES DATE BACK DECADES.
Setting the pace for the Warriors since her freshman year, Zoe Calimani enters her senior season.
The captain led her team to the TAPPS-5A State Meet in 2022, in which the team placed seventh overall. Calimani played a huge role in the team’s finish as she placed eighth individually out of nearly 150 runners.
“My teammates are definitely my biggest inspiration,” said Calimani. “Furthermore, being a captain on this team helps
to motivate me because I’ve been given the responsibility of setting an example for them. It’s my teammates who drive me to be better.”
2023-24 TWCA Cross Country Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
When she’s not on the trails or the track oval, the senior Warrior quite literally plays her own tune to unwind.
“I happen to be a pianist, along with being a distance runner, which I think helps me to be somewhat distinct,” Calimani said. “I’ve been playing the piano for 10 years now. I found that it helps to balance my life, especially since I’m often in the spotlight with cross country and track.
“I find that playing the piano is like my quiet place. I mostly play classical music, but it allows me to be alone for a period and relax.”
It won’t be long before Calimani graduates, so, what might her future hold?
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
“I know it’s funny to say, but I still see myself running,” she laughed. “I just love to run, it keeps me healthy and I feel like there’s such a great community around the sport. If I get the opportunity to run in college, even if it’s not competitive, I’m more than likely going to take it.
“Career-wise, I want to go into medicine or maybe in the field of pediatric nursing. It can be a difficult field to get into, but it’s an aspiration of mine.”
If she has the determination to run several miles in the brutal Texas heat on a daily basis, it shouldn’t be too much of a stretch to assume that Calimani is capable of making anything a reality.
The Shark: TWCA's Calamani Growing In Talent; Voice
ZOE CALAMANI’S RUNNING CAREER DATES WAY BACK TO THE SECOND GRADE. SURE, SHE COULD COLOR IN THE LINES, AND CUT AND PASTE, BUT IT WAS RUNNING THAT SET HER APART.
“Remember the game Sharks and Minnows?” she laughed. “I could dominate. That is when I realized I could run.”
In elementary school and junior high, she just kept running.
“I was terrible in sports with a ball or any hand-eye coordination sports,” she said. “The kids that didn’t have that skill set went straight to cross country. That’s how I ended up here.”
Over time, she has turned into one of the state’s most lethal sharks on the running scene.
“Zoe is pretty quiet by nature,” coach Tom Earle said. “She was a co-captain as a sophomore and became more of a leader, but now she has found her voice.”
Calamani is now the star of one of the most recognizable running brands in TAPPS.
“When I was a freshman, I was terrified,” she laughed. “My teammates had to tell me that it was okay to pass a senior teammate. I didn’t know what to do. My confidence has been building over time.
“As a junior, I did well but was just running comfortable. I wasn’t really pushing myself. Now, I’m doing the little things to get better. I’m in the weight room more and am focused on my sleep, which is pretty important.”
And to think that cross country is not even Calamani’s best sport.
“I’m really trying to run track in college,” the 400 and 800-meter star said. “I run cross country to build my endurance for the track season. That’s really my passion.”
So, what balances the junior when she’s not training, doing homework or watching her favorite show – Criminal Minds?
“I’m a pianist,” she said. “I’ve been doing it before I started running. I’m trained in classical piano. It keeps me balanced and focused. I really do it for myself and for volunteer work. I might play at an assistant living facility or just at my house. It’s really important to me.”