NDA middle-distance track star Sofia Garcia opts for Wagner College

Notre Dame Academy track star Sofia Garcia recently signed a National Letter of Intent to attend Wagner College on a near-full athletic scholarship, the Advance/SILive.com has learned.

Garcia, who played pivotal roles on both NDA’s indoor and outdoor track & field and cross country teams, made her biggest impact as a middle-distance runner over the course of her four years with the Gators. She’s looking forward to doing the same on the other side of Grymes Hill beginning in the fall

It was a hard decision, but Wagner has a great campus and its close to home. I wanted to stay close after everything going on with the coronavirus,‘' said the 18-year-old Garcia, who not only recently joined sisters Pariis (St. John’s), Brianne (St. Peter’s) and Ariella (UMBC) in becoming an alumna of NDA, but in heading to the Division 1 college ranks as well. “Wagner has great academics and I know the coach (Joe Stasi) pretty well and it turned out to be a good fit for me.‘'

Garcia, whose dad, Al, was her coach at NDA, brings a wealth of experience and success to the Northeast Conference Seahawks, particularly in middle-distance running.

Among the 2020 Indoor season highlights was her performance in what turned out to be her final high school event (due to the pandemic) at the Eastern States Championships. Garcia not only won her section, but broke sister Ariella’s school records in both the 400 (58.53 seconds) and 200-meter races (26.71). Her time in the 400 cracked Staten Island’s all-time top 10 list, as well as placed her 14th in the state.

Garcia said she’s looking forward to competing with the Seahawks as well.

Garcia, who is undecided on a major, also received interest from St. John’s, St. Francis College (Brooklyn), Felician, Georgian Court and the College of Staten island.