This week's honoree is from the southernmost reaches of the Orange Coast; and although the town of San Clemente is most famous for once housing the Western White House, after her performance at the CIF State Cross Country Meet in Fresno, this young student-athlete may get her own page in history.

Note: Remember, we are looking for those student-athletes who had a standout performance in their sport from the previous week, but we also are looking for a balance between athletic achievement, academic work in the classroom, community service or overcoming adversity. Send nominations to mark@studentsports.com.

By Harold Abend, Special to CalHiSports.com

If ever there was student-athlete deserving of recognition for athletic and academic achievement, it is Alex Dunne.

People talk all the time about overachievers who can overcome major obstacles, dig down deep and reach back for a second effort and turn in gutsy performances.

There may not be words, however, to describe what Alex Dunne did in winning the CIF State Division I cross country race Nov. 29 at Woodward Park in Fresno.

Actually, it's not just over hills and dales, and rocks, where Dunne has risen to the top, but in the classroom as well.

	Alex Dunne

Before listing all her athletic and academic achievements, we'll tell you how she won the D1 race with a personal best time of 17:27 on the 5K course.

After finishing eighth last year with a time of 17:52, Dunne was this year's favorite after a season in which she won 10 out of 12 races, set four course records, was league, county and CIF Southern Section champion.

One of her most impressive performances was in a race in which she finished second to Jordan Hasay (16:21) at the Mt. Sac Invitational with a time of 16:48. Along with Molly Grabill, who finished third, the three were the only girls in the Individual Sweepstakes race to go under 17 minutes.

At Woodward, Dunne went out in fine form to start the race, but about a mile into the 3.1 mile route, a runner stepped on her left heal causing the shoe to be halfway on with the heal exposed.

What happened next is the stuff that creates legends.

Alex didn't stop to fix the shoe, or even slow down. In fact, Dunne continued to run almost a mile, and in the lead, with her competitors seeing her foot exposed.

Finally, unable to run as effectively as she wanted, Dunne kicked off the shoe and ran the remaining approximately mile-and-three-quarters with no shoe.

"My first thought was, 'I cant believe this is happening," Dunne told CalHiSports.com. "I did panic a little but I realized it is what it is and I just went on. It kind of took my mind off my competitors."

Her competitors must have thought at some point she would fold, but not only didn't Dunne fold, she increased her lead after dumping the shoe from a couple of paces to a 14-second margin of victory.

"How gutsy is that? Any other kid would have stopped to put the shoe back on," said San Clemente cross country and track coach Dave Proodian, who also teaches science at the school.

"It's incredible to go all that way with no shoe and amazing she was able to hold her time and not skip a beat," Proodian remarked. "And she stretched the lead on that course. It's not a rubber track."

At one point, Dunne had to hop a curb and landed on rock and gravel, coming down with the first step on the left foot and the sock covering it.

A picture snapped by Esperanza of Anaheim Coach Tim Wood, whose runner junior Teeny Adams, finished second at 17:41, documents the scene, including the faces of astonished spectators.

For her efforts, Dunne has qualified for the Footlocker Western Regionals Dec. 6 at Mt. SAC in Walnut. The top 10 there move on to the Footlocker Nationals on Dec. 13 at Balboa Park in San Diego.

She also has been named the ESPN RISE National Girls Athlete of the Week besides the California honor.

With her foot still hurting a bit, one might think she has doubts about Footlocker this weekend.

"The toe is a little sore, but by Saturday it should be fine. I doubt it will have any affect on me," said Dunne earlier this week.

Now, she moves on to another goal, and that is to run in San Diego in two weeks.

"I just want to have a strong race, finish in the top 10 and be ready for nationals," said Dunne with respect to this weekend's western regional.

Besides her successful cross country season, Alex excelled last year in track, winning the Arcadia Invitational Mile, the CIF Southern Section 1600-meter and 3200-meter titles and the 3,200-meter CIFSS masters meet championship

At the CIF state meet last June, Dunne was fourth in the 3,200 behind Hasay, Laurynne Chetelat, and Kaylin Mahoney of Saugus, who nosed her at the wire.

Dunne also raced for the USA Junior National Team at the Mountain Running World Championships this past September in Switzerland. She finished third to take home a Bronze Medal in the girls race with a time of 23:33 in the field of 47 runners representing 19 countries.

It was the highest individual placing ever by a junior American girl runner. What makes the finish even more impressive is Alex was the only high school girl on the "girls team.

All this from a young woman who started out as a soccer player, never ran any age-group races and ran her first race in high school.

She won the league cross country championship as a freshman and every year since.

"Everything about Alex from running her races to her work in the classroom; when she puts her mind to it, she just does it," said Proodian, who also has had her in class. "If she encounters obstacles, she gets over them and gets on with it."

She hasn't won every race she's entered, but she never found a subject she couldn't ace.

In four years of high school Alex has never gotten a grade other than an A and currently carries a 4.8 GPA. "I might have had a 5.0 if I had taken five AP [advanced placement] courses instead of four, she said a bit meekly.

"Alex had a high enough SAT to qualify for Duke and Stanford but she wanted to take the test again to do better. She always wants to do better," said Proodian with a chuckle.

Duke and Stanford top the list of potential colleges with Georgetown running a close third and Washington still in the race.

Whew! Some choices.

"I want the best of academics and athletics so I'm leaning towards Duke and Stanford," said Dunne, whose favorite subject is English, and who would like to become a writer.

"I visited Duke and was really impressed. I visit Stanford in January," said Dunne, who tells CalHisports.com besides swimming every Sunday; she trains 13-14 hours a week and spends every weeknight doing homework.

"To concentrate on my running I gave up drama and acting, soccer and the swim team, and I don't have a social life during the week, but on weekends I like to go to the beach when it's warm, do things with friends like go to the mall, and make home videos with my family," she said.

Family is a huge part of her running. 

Her father, Mike, originally from New York and a retired fire captain in Long Beach, raced on the national road racing cycling team and competed in the 1988 Olympic Trials. He now coaches cross country and track at San Clemente and manages his daughter's career.

"I started in soccer, but my dad had a plan all along to have me run cross country. He told me I'd have more success in running than anything previous in my life. I didn't believe him then but I sure believe him now," said Dunn with a chuckle.

Her mother, Carroll, who did some modeling and was into academics, and who is busy with Alex and her three younger siblings, is her biggest fan and comes to every race. "She balances out my dad. He's so intense and into it [running]," Dunne said with a slight giggle.

Alex has two busy brothers and a busy sister as well. Her 14-year-old sister, Jaime, is into dance and ballet. Her 10-year old brother, Connor, just started track and field and according to big sis, Mr. Intensity has another prize pupil. "My dad's been gnawing at the bit but now he's happy since Connor's goal is to go to the Junior Olympics," said Dunne.

The baby of the family, 6-year-old Scott, runs too. "I'm sure he'll be a runner but right now he only runs around the house," she said still laughing.

All kidding aside about her dad and his intensity, what Dunne has done in running and in her studies, with the help of her father and the family, is remarkable and deserving of recognition.

"To receive an award like this and be appreciated for all the hard work by more than just the small running community is amazing," said Dunne with a touch of humility in her voice. 

As to her overall success and achievement in track and school. "It took me a few years to master time management but now I've got it."

Every boy and girl, or even men and women, should probably get whatever clock Alex Dunne is using.

Note: In winning this award, Dunne joins four other cross country runners who have been honored this year; Kaylin Mahoney of Saugus, Rebecca Mehra of Palos Verdes, Molly Grabill of Rancho Bernardo and Jordan Hasay of Mission Prep.