Crystal Andalcio-O'Neil stuck out like a sore thumb on her first day of track practice at Marquette in August 2001.

Despite the fact that it was 70 degrees outside with a light drizzle, Andalcio-O'Neil was dressed in three pairs of track tights with her running pants on top and five sweatshirts, she remembers.

While native Wisconsinites might think such apparel would be better suited for the area's frigid winters, Andalcio-O'Neil, a senior sprinter majoring in broadcast journalism, is a native of the Caribbean island of Trinidad and is not used to the low temperatures in the Midwest.

Trinidad is located just a few miles from the South American mainland and Andalcio-O'Neil never remembers the temperature dipping below 70 degrees on the tiny island.

Needless to say, the harsh Wisconsin winters were a jolt to her system.

"It was an experience," Andalcio-O'Neil, who was also recruited by Memphis and Texas Christian, said with a chuckle. "Everyone would laugh at me in practice … but people didn't understand that even though it would be 65 or 70 here, I would be like, 'This is freezing.'"

The Arctic temperatures were just one of the things Andalcio-O'Neil had to acclimate herself to when she arrived in Wisconsin.

"I was used to my mom cooking everyday and watching my calories and what I ate," she said. "Up here there were so many fatty foods that I wasn't used to eating. There are a lot of fruits at home that I couldn't get here and that took some getting used to."

Along with all the adjustments Andalcio-O'Neil has made off the track, she has had three position coaches in her four years at Marquette.

"I've improved a whole lot since I got here," Andalcio-O'Neil said. "Coach (Bert) Rogers is the best fit for me so far, and while the workouts have taken some getting used to, they're the best fit for me."

"She has really clicked with Coach Rogers and I think she realizes this is her last year here," head coach Dave Uhrich said. "Coach Rogers is getting her to believe in herself."

Andalcio-O'Neil mainly competes in the 55-meter dash, 60-meter dash and the 200-meter dash during the indoor season. In the outdoor season she runs the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash. As one might expect, she prefers running outdoors, because since she followed her older brother into the sport at age eight in Trinidad, she only ran outdoors.

Andalcio-O'Neil has had great success in her senior campaign, taking first place and setting meet records in the 55 meters and 200 meters at the season's opening meet, the Carthage Invite. Most recently, she placed second in the 60 meters and third in the 200 at the Notre Dame Invitational Saturday and is setting her sights on the conference championships in Houston at the end of the month.

"I have not gotten to my proudest achievement here yet," Andalcio-O'Neil said. "I want to go to conference championships and place. When I do that, I will say what my proudest achievement has been."

While Uhrich and Rogers confirm that Andalcio-O'Neil is certainly talented enough to reach her goal, the coaching staff and Andalcio-O'Neil agree she does not always have enough mental sharpness.

"I'm not always as mentally prepared as I should be," she said. "As an athlete you have to realize that this is what I came here to do and even though I feel tired and sick and hurt I can't let that get in the way of my competition."

When the Conference USA championships roll around Feb. 25, Andalcio-O'Neil will be in Houston most likely running for her last chance at a place in Marquette track history. If she is among the first six finishers that weekend, that feeling of satisfaction will wash over her like a Trinidadian sunset.

This article appeared in The Marquette Tribune on Feb. 3 2005.