Knightly News

“As my mom always told me, ‘If you run with a smile you’ll always run faster,’ and this is true! If I laugh or smile before competing I always jump higher or run faster!” Alana Simon

Episcopal track & field athlete Alana Simon has much to smile about after signing to compete with the Southern Miss Golden Eagles next year. Southern Miss was a great choice for Alana because she knew exactly what she wanted from her college experience. “I wanted a school that had three things, a track team, my major, and a dance program,” says Alana. She says the school has a great track program and an accredited chemistry program that will prepare her for a career in cosmetic science. As a bonus, Southern Miss also has a dance program that will allow Alana to continue training in ballet and other dance styles.

Alana grew up around the sport of track & field, with her parents competing at LSU. She began competing in the sport in the fourth grade and looks forward to her college career. “It is a great honor to be able to attend such a prestigious school, and being granted the opportunity to compete at a D1 level school that saw me for the type of athlete and student I am,” says Alana. At Episcopal, Alana’s coaches and teammates also recognize her impact as an athlete and student.

“She has shown great leadership and is well respected by her teammates being elected as one of our team captains,” says Coach Bill Jones. “She will leave our program as one of our most decorated female track athletes in program history. We will miss her character, leadership and bubbly personality. Southern Miss is getting a great athlete, a fierce competitor and most of all a high character young lady.”

The Power of a Positive Attitude and Hard Work

As Alana celebrates signing day, she advises her classmates to “always have a good spirit, good sportsmanship, and work hard. What I’ve come to find out is there is always someone watching you, and if not for your athletic talent, they’re looking at how you approach the competition.” Alana advises others to speak to competitors, congratulate them on a good effort and wish them luck. “Keep a good spirit by laughing with them and lightening up the mood, I’m always laughing so I take that with me to competitions so I’m not so nervous, and neither are the people around me and keeping a smile on my face,” she says.

Alana also emphasizes the importance of hard work and self-care. “Working hard makes the athlete, the more work you put in the better the outcome of the result,” she says. “You will always be better if you put in the work, hard work always pays off. That being said, take care of your body and don’t overwork yourself, too much strenuous activity on yourself will always result in an injury. Make sure with all the work you put in, there is always a recovery for it after to give your body a break.”

The hard work has paid off for Alana, and she’ll compete on the collegiate level next year. Please join us in wishing her well in this next chapter. Share a message with Alana in the comments section below.

The Episcopal School of Baton Rouge 2025-2026 application is now available! ​For more information on the application process, to schedule a tour, or learn more about the private school, contact us at [email protected] or 225-755-2685.