Senior distance runner Abigail Parra did not enter Texas State as a highly touted recruit expected to become a star. However, over four years of belief and grit, she has become exactly that.
Now the reigning 2025 Sun Belt Women’s Outdoor Track Performer of the Year, Parra has blossomed into one of the best distance runners in the conference, with a season that has turned the heads of many all over the country.
Parra specializes in the 3,000-meter and the mile events. She has rewritten the Texas State history books on both races this year.
At the Ted Nelson Invitational in College Station on Jan. 24, Parra ran a 9:29.24 in the 3,000-meter event. This historic time broke the indoor school record, previously held by Leslie Romero, by more than 10 seconds and slotted her into first place in the Sun Belt with a 15-second lead over the next-fastest conference mark.
At her next meet, the Charlie Thomas Invitational on Feb. 7, Parra broke another indoor school record, this time in the mile. Parra ran a 4:40.41, surpassing her own record set last indoor season. She ranks first in the Sun Belt in the event.
“I want to continue to try to break records, whether they’re mine or not, and get well-balanced in all of my events,” Parra said. “I don’t want to just focus on one [event], I want to have a good range of distance.”
The foundation of the past two seasons was laid in a race that nearly slipped away two years ago. During her sophomore year in a 3,000-meter race at the University of Houston, Parra fell behind the pack. Rather than conceding defeat, she clawed her way back into contention and crossed the line in third place.
Randal Grizzle, Texas State track and field distance coach, who has worked closely with Parra, said he remembers the day clearly.
“She had to dig deep,” Grizzle said. “That ended up being a defining moment in her career because she learned to trust her fitness and that she had more in the tank than she had given herself credit for.”
The growth and determination displayed by Parra over her tenure as a Bobcat has been consistent. In the 2023 indoor season, Parra recorded a personal best time of 10:59.30 in the 3,000 meter. Now in her 2026 indoor season, Parra has improved her time by a minute and a half, reflecting years of development.
Teammates see the effort Parra puts in, and many say they are inspired. Junior Alexia Macias, who competes in the distance medley relay with Parra, said she praises her teammates’ character and work ethic. Macias said working alongside Parra has motivated her to set personal goals of her own.
“I definitely do look up to [Parra]. She’s very kind, even when the race is really hard, she’s always very positive,” Macias said. “We train together, so I’m thinking like if [Parra] is breaking these records, I’m pretty motivated to have my own records.”
Parra said the results are a product of time put into perfecting her craft.
“It gets easier to be more consistent when you do it longer, so since I’ve stacked another year of experience and training onto this one, it’s just continuing to build,” Parra said. “It’s the process that we have to trust, you’re gonna gradually get there, it may take time, but you’ll eventually get to where you want to be.”
Parra and the Bobcats will look to continue racking up achievements when they compete at the Sun Belt Conference Indoor Championships Feb. 23-24 at Birmingham Crossplex in Birmingham, Ala.
