Alexis Holmes Finding Her Stride As An Elite Sprinter

By Mary Albl of DyeStat

From a young age, the future for Alexis Holmes seemed to be set. She would find success with basketball.

“I started getting a lot of scholarship offers starting in the eighth grade, so I kind of had my future planned out,” Holmes said. “I thought I was going to play basketball in college.”

But somewhere along the journey, Holmes explained, the passion and love for the game got lost. So, as a sophomore in high school at Cheshire Academy in Connecticut, Holmes made a decision to quit. She actually wrote a letter to her parents telling them of her plans.

“I think for me, I knew if I was going to play basketball in college I had to be passionate about it,” she said. “To make that decision was really hard for me and my family. But they (my family) were very supportive through it all.”

With basketball gone, Holmes turned to one of her first loves: running.

“When I started doing running again, it was obviously hard,” she said. “I wasn't in as good a shape as I used to be in, but I realized this is what I want to do, this is what I'm passionate about, and I have aspirations to run in the Olympics.”

Still getting back into the sport, Holmes is on the right track. She finished third in the 200 (23.86) and second in the 400 (53.63) at New Balance Nationals earlier this month, earning All-America status.

“It's kind of new for me, but it's been something I enjoy,” Holmes said. “I'm glad I got back into it.”

Holmes, a senior and resident of Hamden, first started running when she was around 5 years old. She and her older brother, C.J., both participated in the New Haven CT Age Group Track Club.

Holmes' mom, Dawn Stanton-Holmes, attended Southern Connecticut State and was a four-time All-American, winning the triple jump at the Penn Relays. Sports have provided the Holmes family with countless memories and been an easy way to bond.

“While (C.J.) was doing football, I was doing cheerleading growing up,” Holmes said with a laugh. “So after my cheer practices I would go over and do sprints with the football team. We've always been very connected.”

Holmes stuck with track up until 11 or 12 years old, but was actively involved in other sports. Besides basketball, she played lacrosse and was a standout volleyball player for Cheshire Academy, earning New England Prep School honors, while leading her team to a Class B championship this past fall. She went back to the New Haven Age Group Track Club her sophomore year for a new challenge.

“She kind of just showed up one day,” her coach, Vic Parsley said. “One of the other coaches came up to me and said, 'We have this young lady who is coming back to us, and wants to get back into it, can you train her?' I originally thought she was a college kid because she's so big (5 feet 11).”

While Cheshire Academy does not field an indoor track team, Holmes has worked one on one with Parsley for the last two years, honing her sprinting skills.

“She was really raw in the beginning when she first got here, and her form wasn't too great, but she's a really great athlete and always willing to work hard,” Parsley said. “She's been progressing the way we want her to.”

Holmes, described by Parsely as very outgoing and humble, has faced an uphill battle getting back into running. She has fought through injuries and waited patiently to find the meets with quality competition and opportunities to secure qualifying marks. Through it all, Holmes has emerged a stronger runner and person. The goals this indoor season were to hit 53 and 23 in her events.

“(Her development) has gone pretty well,” Parsley said. “She definitely hit those goals, so we set the bar a little bit higher, 51-52 this outdoor season, and sub 23 in the 200. The goals are pretty high.”

Holmes will head off to Penn State this July, where she'll join former New Haven area prep star Danae Rivers on the Nittany Lions' roster. Holmes will be the first female athlete from Cheshire Academy to run Division 1 track. The next step of competing at the collegiate level is something Holmes is excited about.  

“It's like you're constantly challenging yourself and pushing yourself to the limits,” Holmes said of track. “It's a team sport but it's definitely pushing yourself individually. It's what drives me to keep doing it.”