Click here to view Melissa Pinter's TFRRS profile
As a Freshman - XC (2023)
- Raced in two meets
- Made collegiate debut at Ash Creek Collegiate Invite, running in 20:25.1 (5k)
- Only 6k race was at the Cal State San Marcos Cougar Challenge, running at 23:05.2
With Trabuco Hills High School (Mission Viejo)
- Lettered in both cross country and track & field
- Recipient of the Coaches Award twice
- Captained the cross country team (2020) and track & field team (2021)
- Voted to the Orange County Athletics Directors' Award
With Cal Poly Humboldt
- Attended for one school year
- Named to the Dean's List
Personal
- Born September 21 in Irvine
- Parents are Gerald Pinter and Rosa Ortega-Velasco
- Has one sister, Violet
- Favorite course is Principles of Team Sports with Dr. Traci Ciapponi
- Admires her younger sister Violet because 'she inspires me to work hard and to be a better person in everything that I do.'
- Admires Alexi Pappas because she radiates positivity and is a strong female role model
- Chose Chico State for the strong sense of community, the gorgeous campus and housing affordability
- Greatest moment in sports so far is 'Winning the 800 at a home meet my senior year, the meet was right after I had just run the worst race of my life. I was feeling really discouraged but at the time I was the team captain and I wanted my teammates to know that one bad race does not define you. So I raced the 800 (at a time when my primary event was the 3200) and ended up running a PR and winning the race. After that I continued to win 800s until the end of the season which nobody, not even my coach, saw coming. It was a great moment and I always think about it when I’m having a bad day.'
- The most impressive thing she accomplished was winning an award for a ceramics sculpture she made in high school which awarded her a $1,000 scholarship
- She has a talent for art, specifically with ceramics
- Can play the violin
- Loves to cook and bake
- On her bucket list is to run a marathon
- Favorite quote was from her coach when she was feeling isolated from her teammates: "'To thine own self be true,' and that helped me a lot at the time and I continue to try to be true to myself in all that I do."
- Studying Kinesiology
- Wants to pursue a career in coaching and possibly teach at a four-year or community college in California
