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A highly accomplished runner, Alex Zanella starred for the California women’s cross country and track & field teams from 2012–16. An NCAA All-American in the 1-mile run and 11-time PSAC Champion, she helped elevate the program to new heights both individually and as part of a historic team breakthrough.
Her cross country career was defined by steady development, as she built on her experience at the conference and regional championship races. Zanella recorded multiple top-30 finishes at the PSAC Championships before emerging as one of the top runners in the region as a junior in 2013. She placed fourth at the NCAA Atlantic Regional to earn an individual qualifier to the NCAA National Championships in Spokane, Washington. After redshirting the following year, Zanella capped her cross country career in 2015 with top-10 finishes at both the PSAC and NCAA Regional Championships.
Her progression mirrored the rise of the program. After finishing outside the top-10 at the regional championships early in her career, the Vulcans placed fourth at the PSAC Championships and captured the NCAA Atlantic Region Championship in 2015 – the first and only in program history. The title secured the program’s first NCAA National Championship team appearance and helped spark a stretch of three national appearances in four years.
On the track, Zanella established herself as one of top mid-distance runners in the PSAC by winning seven individual league titles. She claimed a pair of conference crowns in 2013 before delivering a breakout performance at the NCAA Championships as a sophomore. She earned All-America status in the mile with a fifth-place finish while being named PSAC Indoor Track Athlete of the Year. In 2015, she was selected Outstanding Track Athlete at both the PSAC Indoor and Outdoor Championships.
She captured conference titles in the 800-meter run (three), 1500-meter run (twice) and mile (twice) while also contributing to championship relay teams in the 4x800-meter relay (once) and distance medley relay (three). Zanella played a key role in a dominant stretch for the program, as the Vulcans won five-consecutive PSAC titles in the DMR from 2014-18.
Zanella is tied for the second-most PSAC titles in program history. She also earned All-PSAC honors a combined 14 times and USTFCCCA all-region designation 13 times with both totals ranking among the top in school history. A standout in the classroom, Zanella was a two-time First-Team Academic All-American and graduated holding four school records.
Zanella earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education (PreK–4) in 2015 before completing her master’s degree as a reading specialist in 2016. She becomes the first women’s cross country standout inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame since 1997, and the first from the historic 2015 team to be honored.
updated April 22, 2026
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