Bentonville's Solis Signs With Arkansas-Little Rock

STAFF PHOTO HENRY APPLE Rebeca Solis (second from left) of Bentonville signs her national letter of intent to run track and cross country with Arkansas-Little Rock during Monday's ceremony at the Tiger Athletic Complex. She is joined by her father Herbert Solis (from left), brother Matthew and mother Maritza Solis.
STAFF PHOTO HENRY APPLE Rebeca Solis (second from left) of Bentonville signs her national letter of intent to run track and cross country with Arkansas-Little Rock during Monday's ceremony at the Tiger Athletic Complex. She is joined by her father Herbert Solis (from left), brother Matthew and mother Maritza Solis.

— Rebeca Solis said she never pictured herself running track or cross country outside of high school ranks while she was still a freshman.

The Bentonville senior then exceeded those expectations Monday at the Tiger Athletic Complex when she signed a national letter of intent to run both track and cross country with Arkansas-Little Rock.

"It's certainly a big step," Solis said. "Quite frankly, I never thought I would. We looked back at the freshman I was, and none of us ever thought this day would come. It's a huge achievement for me, and I couldn't be more excited to sign."

Solis, who chose UALR over Central Arkansas and Arkansas Tech, has been the leader of a young Bentonville cross country team the past two years, and she's helped the Lady Tigers earn back-to-back state indoor and outdoor track titles. She helped Bentonville earn a second-place finish during the 2012 Class 7A state cross country meet, finishing 29th as an individual, then she improved her finish to 18th last fall when she cut 25 seconds off her time.

She competed in outdoor track last spring and had a sixth-place finish in the girls 3,200-meter run at the Class 7A state meet. She has the area's fourth-best time in the 3,200 this spring, finishing second in the Springdale Schools Invitational and third in the Tiger Relays, and has competed in the 1,600 and the 4x800 relay as well.

"Rebeca will be the first to admit she's not the best distance runner in the state of Arkansas," Bentonville coach Randy Ramaker said. "She is a girl that, from day one until day now, has worked her rear end off at getting better.

"You really feel good for a kid that has put forth so much time and effort into the process of getting herself a chance to go to the next level and being offered a very good scholarship. I couldn't be more pleased for the kid because she provides so much more than just her running ability."

Sports on 04/08/2014

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