Carela Selected for NACAC XC Championships
February 09, 2011 | Cross Country
TAMPA - University of South Florida senior Pedro Carela was selected by the Dominican Republic on Tuesday to compete for the country in the North America, Central America and Caribbean (NACAC) Cross Country Championships in Trinidad and Tobago on Feb. 19.
Carela previously ran for the Dominican Republic when he was selected to run the 5,000 Meter at the D.R. National Championships last May. He recorded a time of 15:31.95 to win the race among a field of 15 competitors.
"I'm really excited about this opportunity," Carela said. "They had a qualifying race in the [Dominican Republic] that I wasn't able to go to. But they told me to send them a link with my fastest 8k time (25:46) and if I was in the top three, they would call me. Well, I got the call and when I did, I actually had to look up where Trinidad and Tobago was on Google maps because I didn't know where it was."
Carela has consistently been a top finisher for the Bulls, finishing as the top runner 11 times during his USF cross country career. He was named the team's Most Outstanding Cross Country Runner for the 2007-2008 season.
Carela also competed for the track team in 2008 and '09, competing in the 1,500, 3,000, and 5,000 meters and ran unattached during the 2010 season.
A Puerto Rico native, Carela moved to the United States when he was nine years old. Since his parents are natives of the Dominican Republic, he is eligible to compete for either the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, or the U.S.
"I feel like I am honoring my parents by running this event," Carela said. "I know they are proud that their son is running for their home country."
