CV’s Anna Fomin ready for fast finish to prep career

Anna Fomin’s shy, quiet personality belies a competitive, fiery spirit that bubbles beneath the surface when she steps on the track.

“I hate losing,” said the Central Valley senior sprint standout and daughter of Russian immigrants.

Fomin was unknown when she arrived at CV as a freshman. It didn’t take her long to attract the coaches’ attention.

“She impressed us early in a time trial,” coach Geoff Arte said.

By season’s end, Fomin had established herself as one of the top sprinters in the Greater Spokane League. At regionals, a finish-line photo was needed to separate the top three finishers in the 400 meters.

Fomin finished third – .03 of a second out of advancing to state. Her time of 57.47, a season best, would have placed her fifth at state.

“I have the picture (of the finish) on my phone, and I lost by a lean,” Fomin said.

Fomin earned state medals that season in the 800 and 1,600 relays. But she used just missing out on a state berth in the 400 as motivation for her sophomore season when she earned state medals in the 200 (4th), 400 (3rd), 800 relay (4th) and 1,600 relay (5th).

It was a record-breaking season. She set the school record in the 200 (25.00) and 400 (55.50) and was part of the record-setting 800 relay (1:41.95).

Along came a junior year chock full of pain. She experienced shin splits in what she called overtraining during the summer. She turned out for cross country but had to quit because it was too painful to run.

The injury followed her into the spring when her times were measurably slower than the year before.

“I never really felt I could push myself. The pain always got in the way of my thinking,” Fomin said. “I just never felt as fast as my sophomore year.”

Still, Fomin qualified for state in four events, taking fourth in the 400 and helping the 1,600 relay to second and 800 relay to fifth.

“It was hard to keep the faith in my abilities,” she said. “If it weren’t for my teammates I wouldn’t have made it through the year.”

Fomin decided she needed to alter her training regimen. She started working with a personal trainer. She also changed her diet, eliminating all sugars.

She turned back out for cross country last fall. She placed third at state for her team and 38th overall as the Bears took fourth. And she ran pain free.

“She hated every step of cross country but she loved being with her teammates,” Arte said. “She gave me evil eyes during races, but she knew it was good for her.”

“I’ve gotten stronger,” Fomin said.

Arte decided to change Fomin’s workouts this spring. Instead of her doing sprinter workouts, he put her on middle distance workouts, specifically targeting the 800.

“We talked her into biting off a little more,” Arte said.

Fomin was apprehensive at first. Now she’s convinced that it’s made a difference even if her sprint times haven’t come down as fast she she’d like.

Her faith in her talent has been restored.

Fomin’s personal best in the 800 is 2:18.41. She wants to break the school record (2:13.65). If she takes another five seconds off her time, she could challenge for a state title. Arte agrees.

She’s intrigued by that possibility. She will run a leg on the relays next week at district, but her other events haven’t been decided.

Fomin is leaning toward just one more event, the 800.

“I told her since she’s a senior she can be a little more selfish when it comes to what she’ll do at district,” Arte said.

No matter what events she decides to do, Fomin will surely add to the nine state medals already collected.

“The 800 takes so much out of you that I want to be prepared for one event rather than be mediocre in two events,” she said.

Fomin, the youngest of seven, can trace her roots in running to her mother, who ran in high school in Odessa, Ukraine.

Her parents migrated to the United States in 1991, landing briefly in Virginia where family lived before ending up in Sacramento, California, for 16 years. That’s where Anna was born.

The family moved to Spokane when Fomin was in the third grade.

Her mom takes a trip every summer back to Russia. Fomin hopes to make her first trip this summer.

Fomin speaks fluent Russian. That’s typically the language spoken at home.

The language she speaks on the track, though, needs no translation.

Fomin signed to run at the University of Idaho.

“Idaho got a steal,” Arte said. “By the time they’re done with her, she’ll be a Pac-12 type of kid. I expect phenomenal things from her. She’s an athlete. Even though she just runs, she’s as good an athlete as those ball sports kids.”

Arte said the frustrating junior year will benefit Fomin in college.

“That was the best thing for her,” Arte said. “In college you’re going to have some hard times. She knows how she can work her way out of it.”

Fomin has left a mark at CV in more ways than one.

“She’s as serious a competitor as we’ve ever had and a great team leader,” Arte said.

Said Fomin: “I hope that I inspire the younger kids to do the best they can.”