SE: Finally Back in Manhattan, Alves Shines in Return to Track
Jan 12, 2021 | Track & Field, Sports Extra
By: Austin Siegel
Over 12 million people live in São Paulo, the largest city in Brazil, and not a single one of them knew exactly what Vitoria Sena Batista Alves was doing.
That's the trouble when you're a track and field athlete without a team.
While you could probably find a training partner to stand in the net on a soccer field or grab rebounds on a basketball court, it's a little harder for Alves to find someone to compare sprint mechanics or share notes on lean technique as they go over each hurdle.
It helps to have a guy like Cliff Rovelto on speed dial.
"I needed to have [Coach Rovelto's] opinion about technical stuff," Alves said. "It was a way to be present in my work. I made sure to always video one or two attempts."
It would be one thing if Alves was doing this over the summer, when almost every K-State student-athlete had to get a little creative in their workouts and training.
But, when the Wildcats began working out ahead of their first meet of the season, Alves was still in Brazil.
COVID-19 restrictions kept her grounded in her hometown of São Paulo, training and working out by herself as Alves stayed in shape for the season that she hoped would eventually come.
When it finally did, Alves didn't waste any time making an impact.
Her 8.22-second mark in the 60m hurdles at Saturday's Wildcat Invitational was the second quickest time in school history and a new personal record for the Brazilian.
"We had a practice on Wednesday and did the 60m hurdles, where I had a PR. So, I felt good," Alves said. "Then, I got the same time that I ran in practice at the meet. I don't know if the race was that special. I just wanted to run."
She's been competing in the 60m hurdles since her freshman year at K-State back in 2018, but Alves has gotten quicker every season.
The circumstances surrounding this race, her first victory in her first competition in nearly a year, are enough to make you wonder what the ceiling could be for Alves this season.
Not many student-athletes have gone longer without competing or spent more time away from their teammates and coaches.
"Vitoria has done a good job," Rovelto said. "She was stuck in Brazil because of a travel ban. But she literally sent me every video of every workout she did. And other than the period where she missed some time, she did a really fine job of training. Under less-than-ideal conditions, she did a really fine job of training and it pays off."
Of course, even after putting in the work back home in São Paulo, there was still the matter of actually running the race for Alves.
She wasn't even sure she would compete in last weekend's Wildcat Invitational until she returned to Manhattan. Then, it was about getting her mind right for her first sprint of 2021.
"On Friday, I got anxious," Alves said. "I just tried to control that…Coach always tells us to wake up our bodies before breakfast."
For Alves, that meant blasting music – more specifically Beyonce's Homecoming album.
"That always gets me turned up," she said.
Alves wasn't surprised by her performance on Saturday. But seeing all her hard work in Brazil pay off, without competitors or a crowd, was the best part of a record-breaking performance.
Her time in the 60m hurdles means Alves is only chasing Akela Jones in the K-State record books, who posted an 8.00-second mark in the event before she represented Barbados at the 2016 Summer Olympics later that year.
For now, Alves is focused on a season that's finally arrived in Manhattan and the opportunity to improve on a historic start to her sophomore season with the Wildcats.
"Knowing that I took my first step forward, it felt good," she said. "I have hope that we can work hard and try to get better with every workout."
Over 12 million people live in São Paulo, the largest city in Brazil, and not a single one of them knew exactly what Vitoria Sena Batista Alves was doing.
That's the trouble when you're a track and field athlete without a team.
While you could probably find a training partner to stand in the net on a soccer field or grab rebounds on a basketball court, it's a little harder for Alves to find someone to compare sprint mechanics or share notes on lean technique as they go over each hurdle.
It helps to have a guy like Cliff Rovelto on speed dial.
"I needed to have [Coach Rovelto's] opinion about technical stuff," Alves said. "It was a way to be present in my work. I made sure to always video one or two attempts."
It would be one thing if Alves was doing this over the summer, when almost every K-State student-athlete had to get a little creative in their workouts and training.
But, when the Wildcats began working out ahead of their first meet of the season, Alves was still in Brazil.
COVID-19 restrictions kept her grounded in her hometown of São Paulo, training and working out by herself as Alves stayed in shape for the season that she hoped would eventually come.
When it finally did, Alves didn't waste any time making an impact.
Meet us at the finish line #KStateTF x Wildcat Invitational pic.twitter.com/bKVChglXe0
— K-State Track (@KStateTFXC) January 11, 2021
Her 8.22-second mark in the 60m hurdles at Saturday's Wildcat Invitational was the second quickest time in school history and a new personal record for the Brazilian.
"We had a practice on Wednesday and did the 60m hurdles, where I had a PR. So, I felt good," Alves said. "Then, I got the same time that I ran in practice at the meet. I don't know if the race was that special. I just wanted to run."
She's been competing in the 60m hurdles since her freshman year at K-State back in 2018, but Alves has gotten quicker every season.
The circumstances surrounding this race, her first victory in her first competition in nearly a year, are enough to make you wonder what the ceiling could be for Alves this season.
Not many student-athletes have gone longer without competing or spent more time away from their teammates and coaches.
"Vitoria has done a good job," Rovelto said. "She was stuck in Brazil because of a travel ban. But she literally sent me every video of every workout she did. And other than the period where she missed some time, she did a really fine job of training. Under less-than-ideal conditions, she did a really fine job of training and it pays off."
Of course, even after putting in the work back home in São Paulo, there was still the matter of actually running the race for Alves.
These two lit up the track today👟✌️
— K-State Track (@KStateTFXC) January 9, 2021
Wildcat Invitational | Ahearn Field House#KStateTF x @TejaswinShankar x @vitoriasenaaa pic.twitter.com/bRYEPHklGJ
She wasn't even sure she would compete in last weekend's Wildcat Invitational until she returned to Manhattan. Then, it was about getting her mind right for her first sprint of 2021.
"On Friday, I got anxious," Alves said. "I just tried to control that…Coach always tells us to wake up our bodies before breakfast."
For Alves, that meant blasting music – more specifically Beyonce's Homecoming album.
"That always gets me turned up," she said.
Alves wasn't surprised by her performance on Saturday. But seeing all her hard work in Brazil pay off, without competitors or a crowd, was the best part of a record-breaking performance.
Her time in the 60m hurdles means Alves is only chasing Akela Jones in the K-State record books, who posted an 8.00-second mark in the event before she represented Barbados at the 2016 Summer Olympics later that year.
For now, Alves is focused on a season that's finally arrived in Manhattan and the opportunity to improve on a historic start to her sophomore season with the Wildcats.
"Knowing that I took my first step forward, it felt good," she said. "I have hope that we can work hard and try to get better with every workout."
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