Southwestern Community College Director of Cross Country/Track and Field Scott Vicker recently announced the signing of a pair of student-athletes from Texas.

Alejandro Alvarez-Ocasio and Robert Norton, teammates at Northwest High School in Justin, Texas, both recently signed with the Spartans for the 2021-22 season.

Both Alvarez-Ocasio and Norton were part of Northwest High School's 3:19.47 4x400 relay team this past spring.

"Alejandro and Robert will be huge additions to our track team next spring, and will form the backbone of our 4x400 relay for the next two years," Vicker said. "But, they are both versatile athletes. They unlock a lot of things for us on the track, as we can put together a strong 4x800 and distance medley now, as well. I expect both Alejandro and Robert to be key contributors to our cross country team in the fall, too."

Alvarez-Ocasio owns high school PRs of 2:01.36 for the 800 meters and 51.36 in the open 400 meter dash. He has split 50 seconds in the 4x400 relay.

"This was Alejandro's first year ever running track, so he has only trained to race for four months," Vicker said. "He has only scratched the surface of his potential, so we are excited to work with him and help him develop as a runner. He is excited about the opportunity to grow as a runner and will play an important role on our team."

Norton has been a mainstay in the Texan lineup during his high school career. Norton owns a 5K cross country PR of 15:54. On the track, Norton has run 10:16 over 3200 meters, 4:37 for 1600 meters, 2:02 for the 800, and 51.29 in the open 400 meter dash. On Northwest's 3:19.47 4x400 relay team, Norton split a 49.7.

"Robert is such a well-rounded runner," Vicker said. "His range is incredible, which gives us lots of options on the track. In cross country, Robert should be able to step in as one of our top runners. From my first conversation with Robert, I knew he had the attitude we're looking for in a student-athlete. I'm looking forward to him being a great leader for us over the next two years."

Both Alvarez-Ocasio and Norton will be Associate of Arts students at Southwestern, with Alvarez-Ocasio focusing on business and Norton focusing on sports broadcasting.