The 5-foot-3 senior set a state record of 9:53.29 in the 3200-meter run at the Group 2 state meet this past season, which ranked as the nation’s No. 3 performance among prep competitors in 2022. The state’s reigning Gatorade Player of the Year in girls cross country, Perez also won the Group 2 1600-meter run with a time of 4:48.68. She claimed a national title in the 2-mile run with a clocking of 10:03.18 at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor in Pennsylvania, then returned the next day to New Jersey and won the 3200 at the Meet of Champions.
Perez has maintained a weighted 4.29 GPA in the classroom. She has signed a National Letter of Intent to compete on an athletic scholarship at the University of Florida this fall.
Perez has raised funds on behalf of both breast cancer research and mental health awareness, and has volunteered locally for her public library as well as trail clean-up initiatives and charity road races.
