Arlette Melendez: In the Spotlight
Arlette Melendez (SR/Chihuahua, Mexico), a senior thrower originally from Mexico, is closing another chapter in her USAO career as graduation draws closer. Melendez is very well known around the USAO campus for her involvement in different departments, clubs, and athletic teams. In 2018, Melendez made the change from volleyball to track and field and she made history as the first female thrower in USAO program history, and since then she has set many school records.
Before joining the throwing team in 2018-2019, Melendez was on USAO's volleyball team. Her freshman year the team had a 7-26 record, which is the second-best season in program history.
In her time on the track and field team, Melendez has set the shot-put record at 10.10 meters and the discuss record at 23.98 meters. She is also a two-time Academic All-SAC selectee and a SAC Scholar-Athlete in 2020 and 2021. Melendez said she is "coming for that three-peat" this year. As of this season, Melendez has become a student assistant for the track and field team, which allows her to demonstrate her tremendous leadership qualities.
"Since Arlette's arrival in our program, she not only has shown improvement each year in the throwing ring, but she's gotten so involved with the university that you can see she has such an impact on her peers," said Coach Chris Wise.
If these accomplishments weren't enough, Melendez was crowned USAO's 2021 Homecoming Queen in early November. Additionally, her queendom extends to Oklahoma City at "Fiesta Patrias" with the title of "Reina de las Fiestas Patrias."
As Melendez prepares to leave Science & Arts as a graduate, she is the founder of the United Hispanic Council and is assisting the next generation of leaders in her last semester on campus. Melendez will graduate with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in management, and two minors in Spanish and Liberal Arts. Melendez plans to further her education by obtaining her master's degree in Higher Education and then returning to her old stomping grounds of Southeast High School in OKC to coach volleyball and throwers for the track and field team.
"My biggest advice to her I give is to trust the process. In throwing and in life. There are days the world is going to throw everything at you, and it feels like it's against you. You must continue to work hard even on the days it seems like everything is going wrong. That's what separates the good from the great," said assistant coach Chris Wise.
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