Rachel Baptista earns medals for her running and assists track coaches Tricia Johnson and Thomas Cain tremendously with her positive energy. "She's is a great kid," Cain said. "One of her best qualities is she is super dedicated. She is committed to being the best runner she can be and she encourages other runners." This week, the Oak Hill Gazette honors Baptista as the Student Athlete of the Week.

Born in Austin, Rachel attended elementary and middle school in Lake Travis. She also played volleyball and soccer during her middle school years. The lone child born to Frank and Debbie Baptista, she also receives extensive encouragement from her grandparents.

Geometry with coach Todd Brown represents Baptista's favorite class. "Coach Brown made everything interesting," she noted. "He made it fun." Following graduation, Baptista would like to learn more about physical therapy. "I think it would be cool to be a personal trainer," the sophomore stated.

Athletically, Rachel just began to run competitively this past autumn. "I always liked running distances like the Bun Run," she said. Baptista finished third in district at the cross country meet and won the mile run at the spring district track meet at Westlake with a time of 5.08. "She's as quality as they come," coach Johnson added. "And she has a great sense of humor."