Amy Bassett, who was selected to this year's all-state track and field team, didn't always pursue the sport.

"In middle school, all three years, I played volleyball," said the rising senior at South Aiken High School.

When she was a freshman at South Aiken, she tried out for the Lady Thoroughbreds' volleyball team but didn't make it. Not dismayed by that setback, she looked for another sport and joined the cross country team in the fall, and in the spring she tried out for track and field.

At first, running a mile was tough, she said. Now she can run it in a little over five minutes, and she finishes in the top five in most races.

"She'll be our team captain next year," said Russ Busbee, who coaches cross country and heads a team of coaches for the track and field team. "She does not have a runner's build, but she makes up for it in sheer determination."

Bassett's immediate goal is to run the 3.2-mile cross country course in less than 20 minutes.

"It's nice to get under 20 minutes, and it's cool to finish in the top five," she said.

Bassett competes in several running events. In May, she placed eighth in the state championships in Columbia in the 1,600-meter race with a time of 5:30.03, and she was part of the 4 x 400-meter relay race team that finished fifth.

Although she didn't start out as a runner, she said she enjoys the sport.

"It helped me develop a love of running. I have fun with it, and my times are good," she said.

However, it's more than the races she remembers. Practicing with teammates, she has formed relationships that have had an impact on her life, she said.

"I remember past seniors who helped me become who I am," she said.

Bassett said her goals for her senior year are to "see what kinds I times I can get and to set personal records."

She's still looking ahead to college, but she has not decided on a particular one yet. She wants a liberal arts education in a small setting, she said.