Acosta radiates positivity, hope to her young athletes

Former TAMUK runner named to All Decade Team

Marissa Acosta was never your ordinary student-athlete.

Her academic and athletic accolades speak for themselves. Acosta is a talented individual who strived for nothing less than the best, while pursuing her goals on the track and in the classroom.

Acosta maintained a 3.5 GPA through her entire four years at Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) and succeeded in earning her bachelor’s degree of science in Kinesiology. The long-lived dream of the young prodigy was fulfilled and remains a warm memory in her heart.

“Running at the collegiate level is something I had always dreamed of as a kid. I loved my teammates, my coaches, and all the hard work that came with it,” Acosta said. “In college the competition was much more intense than what you experience in high school, and I am certain those four years at TAMUK were the best of my life.” 

Acosta was recently named part of the 2020 Indoor All Decade Team for track and field. 

“I was super excited about being named a part of the women’s indoor track All Decade Team. It took me down memory lane, and it gave me a reason to reminisce and live in the past for a little bit. As a student-athlete you make sacrifices and devote a lot of time and effort. It felt really good to have been selected and made it feel all worth it,” Acosta said. “Coach Dall has always been a wonderful coach to me and does a great job every year with his team and staff.” 

Ryan Dall, head women’s cross country/track and field coach, speaks highly of the athlete Acosta once was. 

“Marissa was a very talented runner,” coach Dall said. “I only coached her for a year until we hired a distance coach full time, but she did well for our program and had a great career with us. I enjoyed coaching her and having her on the team.” 

Since her time at TAMUK, Acosta has impacted the lives of many young student-athletes at Alice High School (AHS) as she fulfills the role of women’s head track and field coach. Many young women have felt inspired and continue to thrive off the energy and support Acosta delivers.

Criselda Cruz, a former athlete of Acosta’s, currently runs track and field for TAMUK. 

“In all honesty, it was a blessing to have a coach like Acosta in high school,” Cruz said. “In high school it is not always easy to find your groove. I fell in love with the sport of track and earning a scholarship to run at the next level could not have been done without the help of Acosta. It was neat being given the chance to compete at the same university.”

Acosta remains the women’s head coach at AHS and allows her athletes to flourish in their own ways by encouraging them daily. Acosta is and will always be a role model to others.

Her success and positivity radiate through the lives of others and will continue to do so.