Merced High three-sport standout and Central California Conference champion in every season Isabel Perez-Zoghbi, a California Division 3 state finalist in cross country and sixth-place finisher in the 116-pound division at the girls wrestling state championships, joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to revisit her unique weekend that saw her run a lifetime-best 45.04 seconds March 18 in the 300-meter hurdles at the Gateway to Track and Field Invitational at Buchanan High's Veterans Memorial Stadium in Clovis, followed by personal-best performances March 19 by clocking 2:19.94 in the 800 meters and 5:13.84 in the 1,600 meters at the Dublin Distance Fiesta at Dublin High. Perez-Zoghbi reflects on her excitement to be able to compete against such accomplished athletes at both events after having her sophomore track season cut short and junior year confined to local events as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. She explains how she endured burnout during her junior year trying to impress coaches to potentially have an opportunity to run in college, along with taking on a demanding academic schedule, and says her passion for running has been rejuvenated this year following her success in cross country, where she was the Sac-Joaquin Section Division 3 runner-up and placed 31st at the state meet. Perez-Zoghbi speaks about her learning curve in the hurdling events after trying them for the first time as a sophomore, and her ambition to reach the state meet May 27-28 at Veterans Memorial Stadium. She also looks forward to potentially competing in the 400-meter hurdles for the first time April 1-2 at the Stanford Invitational, along with racing April 8-9 at the Arcadia Invitational. Perez-Zoghbi shares her memorable wrestling journey from competing in the sport for the first time in eighth grade, to going winless in her Sac-Joaquin Section Southern Regional tournament as a freshman, to not being able to participate in the postseason as a sophomore because of illness, to having her junior season canceled because of the pandemic, to winning a regional title, placing second at the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters competition and sixth in the state competition in February at Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield. She also examines how important time management has been in balancing not only her challenging academic and athletic schedules during her prep career, but also making sure to allow time to rest and recover and support her own mental health, and expresses gratitude for the support of her family, coaches and teammates during each season and every year.