Nicole Sabes has been an asset to Saratoga High athletics for the past four years, participating on the varsity softball, soccer, field hockey and track teams. But with a looming graduation date, the superstar is getting ready to fly away from the Falcon nest and run for University of California Santa Barbara on the school’s prestigious track team.

The UCSB track team participates in meets all over the West Coast, most of them in Southern California. Sabes will be running for coach Pete Dolan, currently in his 21st season at UCSB. Making the UCSB track team is an accomplishment as the distance program is ranked second in the Big West Conference.

“Last year, I e-mailed a bunch of [college] coaches my times and said I was interested in their school,” said Sabes. “I got e-mails back from coaches and they asked if I wanted to go for an official visit.”

She received a $500 book scholarship, but is very glad she “just gets to go there and run track.”

Sabes will run the 400m and the 800m. She is currently ranked 11th in CCS for the 400m with a time of 59.05 and fourth in the 800m with 2:16.48.

Her training with UCSB’s team will start in the summer and continue throughout the school year.

“They want me to train with the cross-country people, [even though] I will be running the 400m and the 800m,” said Sabes.

Sabes is looking forward to many aspects of UCSB, but her favorite part will “probably [be] friends and free clothes.”

“I went to a visit there and really liked it,” said Sabes. “It’s around the beach and all the people seemed really nice.”