Not surprisingly, each sister had a similar career as a high school runner. The Amberg twins were part of the Eagle’s 2012 cross country team that won the state championship and in 2013, their team took second place, just missing a back-to-back championships.
Cristina Amberg participated individually in the 2013 three-mile run where she finished in first place just in front of her sister. Cristina holds the cross country Metro Course record and was honored with an Academic All-District award.
Cassandra was the runner-up in 2013 during the 800-meter run, which was her fastest finish in her high school career. She was also a member of the 1600-meter medley relay team that took home a state championship as well. Also, during her senior year, Cassandra was honored with an Academic All-State award.
Entering as freshmen at NM State, the Amberg sisters have participated in five meets for the Aggies, finishing in the top 12 for three of the meets. They have helped the team to two first place finishes and one second and third place finish during the 2014 season. At the NM State hosted Kachina Classic on Sept. 20, Cristina finished ninth with a time of 20:17.06, while Cassandra finished right behind in tenth place with a time of 20:21.96.
"We were pretty competitive in high school, so hopefully we carry that mindset into our college career," Cassandra said. “The biggest difference we saw was in the mileage of running in college compared to high school.”
The Ambergs sisters both agreed that their parents are their biggest supporters, as well as each other.
“Cassandra is definitely my biggest supporter,” Cristina said. “She holds me accountable and pushes me to do my best in school and in athletics.”
The sisters both commend the captain of the NM State women’s cross country team, Diana Hawk, for a smooth transition from high school to the collegiate level. “Our captain Diana Hawk is our best role model coming to NM State,” Cassandra said. “Since Diana also graduated from Eldorado we are excited to be running with her again for her last season.”
With freshman year being tough to get through for most students, the Amberg sisters believe that staying motivated and on top of everything will be their best bet for success academically and athletically.
NM State continues its season with the help of the Amberg sisters on Saturday, Oct. 18 as they travel to Sunnyvale, Calif. to compete in the Santa Clara Bronco Invite.