Fatima Izaguirre-Frasser (center) signs her wrestling letter of intent for Umpqua Community College as her mom, Karla Frasser-Parrish, and stepdad, Butch Parrish, look on. Izaguirre-Frasser also will run cross-country and track for the RiverHawks.

HERMISTON — Fatima Izaguirre-Frasser was looking forward to her senior year at Hermiston High School.

She was part of the cross-country and track teams, and participated in wrestling. On top of that, she was getting ready for college. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, she had already missed out on things students look forward to during their senior year.

“I definitely had days where I was freaking out,” she said. “It was my senior year. I was hoping to have something. Once school started again, I was very excited.”

While Hermiston students still were in remote learning, Izaguirre-Frasser contracted COVID-19.

“It was around December when that happened, and it continued into January,” Izaguirre-Frasser said. “I was staying with my dad and he got it from work. It messed up my breathing. That’s why my performance was weak in cross-country. I wasn’t hospitalized, but I have an inhaler if I need it.”

While things didn’t look good at the beginning of the year, there was a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for Izaguirre-Frasser, who signed letters of intent to run cross-country and track at Umpqua Community College, Roseburg, as well as wrestle for the RiverHawks.

“We are looking for her to come in and contribute to our distance runners,” UCC coach Alan King said in a news release.

One sport is the norm, two is admirable but three will keep Izaguirre-Frasser plenty busy.

“Our coaches (at Hermiston) really push us to do our best,” she said “They are supportive in what we do. That pushed me to do more in college.”

Izaguirre-Frasser runs everything from the 800 to the 3,200 in track. This year, she hit a personal best of 2 minutes, 48.04 seconds in the 800, and a personal record of 6:47.87 in the 1,600. She also ran on the Bulldogs’ 4×400 relay team.

At UCC, she will keep her distances shorter.

“I will do the 800, 1,600 and 4×400 relay in college,” she said. “I prefer more mid-distance. Long distance isn’t that much of my favorite because of my breathing issues.”

In cross-country, Izaguirre-Frasser has a personal best of 22.05.3 in the 5,000 meters, and her personal best in the 3-mile race is 21:41.8.

“The distances in cross-country are easier because it is one race a day, not three or four,” she said.

Izaguirre-Frasser, who plans to major in criminal psychology, will be joining a Umpqua Community College team that finished second at the NWAC Southern Regional this year.

Out of the three sports, Izaguirre-Frasser may like wrestling most of all. She placed third at 105 pounds in the Northern Section of districts as a senior, and was named to the Mid-Columbia Conference honorable mention team.

“It makes me feel powerful, and I’m in control,” she said of wrestling. “I love the teamwork and just wrestling in general. It’s fun. I like working out. In a way, it’s harder than cross-country and track. Since I run a lot, it’s easier for me. It gets hard because you are using all of yourself.”

The RiverHawks ended the 2019-20 season as the top-ranked junior college program in the county. They finished second at the NCWA National Championship and eighth in the WCWA National Championship. They crowned three National Champions, 10 All-Americans, and four Academic All-Americans that season.

“Fatima will help to add depth to our lower weights and will bring a strong work ethic and skill base to our team and room,” Umpqua coach wrestling Craig Jackson said in a news release.

Izaguirre-Frasser is excited to join the RiverHawks on the mat.

It’s a big privilege to wrestle for them,” she said, “and be wanted to come and wrestle for them.”

With the college season right around the corner, Izaguirre-Frasser will start college cross-country practice Aug. 2.

Umpqua Community College has on-campus housing for female athletes, which was a relief for Izaguirre-Frasser, but she heads to Roseburg not knowing a soul.

“I don’t know anyone there at all,” she said. “It will be a new experience for me. It’s exciting, but a little scary. Mom (Karla) is happy for me to start a new life on my own, but she’s sad her first child is leaving the nest.”