Athlete Spotlight: Sherando track & field athlete Eva Winston | Winchester Star

Sherando High School 18-year-old senior

Sport: Track & field. Main events: 800 meters, 1,600 and 4×800

Parents: Linda Luong and Philip Winston

Hometown: Winchester

What do you love about track?: Those days, whether it’s races or workouts or long runs, that everything just kind of feels easy. It all clicks, and you feel fast and strong, and I can kind of get a runner’s high from that. And of course, all the people I’ve met through running, too, and my friends.

Most memorable moment in track: This past winter, when we went to the Virginia Showcase in Virginia Beach. (The event at the Virginia Beach Sports Center featured more 370 teams this year.) It was just a fun environment, and I raced fast times. They were big [personal records] at the time. (Winston recorded times of 5:18.68 in the 1,600 and 3:06.35 in the 1,000). It was exciting to be at the Virginia Showcase meet again since I hadn’t gone since I was a freshman.

Most embarrassing moment in running: Every summer our team runs at C&O Canal. Somehow everybody knew to move out of the way, and I got hit by a biker. Then every run where there was a biker, my team would be like, ‘Watch out, Eva.’

Most difficult moment in track: I forget which year it was, but I had this mental block, and [former Sherando track] coach [Josh] Ilnicki had me do 200 repeats until failure. I ended up doing a ton of those. He would do those hard workouts to get myself to get out of my head. Then after the [next] race I still sort of felt mentally blocked, so that was frustrating. But I got through it.

Three people you can have dinner with, dead or alive: Our team had a big debate over whether the Mongols were civilized, so I’d have dinner with Genghis Khan to figure that out. Jesus; because he was an influential guy. And my grandmom [Joan Winston]; because I love her and she’s very funny. I think she would like to be at that dinner [with Genghis Khan and Jesus].

Biggest athletic influence: [2021 Sherando graduate and current marathon/half marathon runner] Molly Robinson; when I was a freshman she was this super fast upperclassmen, and now she’s one of my best friends and she’s still super fast. She definitely motivates me a lot.

Favorite teachers: [Sherando cross country] coach [Megan] Roberts. She taught Spanish to me. She’s always there for us and is very supportive. And [Sherando science teacher] Dr. [Susan] Saylor. I had her for two years. She’s just very involved and follows our athletic performance a lot, which is really nice. I didn’t do great in her class the first semester when I was in AP Chem. But she definitely helped push me a lot.

Favorite athlete: [Soccer player] Mia Hamm

Favorite team: New England Patriots

Favorite movie: “Little Women” (2019 version)

Favorite TV show: “The Queen’s Gambit”

Favorite song: “Cowboy Like Me” by Taylor Swift

Favorite food: My mom’s chicken lo mein

Worst thing you’ve eaten: I’m allergic to peanuts. I ate a peanut butter cookie three or four years ago, and that was bad.

Plans after high school: I’m going to UVA in the fall. I’m going in for cognitive science, but I’m interested in a lot of things surrounding science and technology. They’ve been making a lot of progress with brain imaging, and I think the way they’re combining AI with psychiatry is really interesting, and it could help a lot of people, so maybe I’d do something with that. The job that I want is probably still evolving.