by Christy Parrott
Recent West Grand High School graduate Ralin Corrales has been accepted to Cornell College as a pole vaulter for the track team. “I got a letter at the beginning of the year and recently made it official,” Corrales says. Corrales started pole vaulting at her brother’s urging: “He told me I should get into it, and I fell in love with it.”
Currently, Corrales is ranked fourth in the state, with a record height of nine feet, seven inches. Coach Brown says, “She’s been a joy to coach. She’s won every meet she’s entered, and I think she’ll do even better in college.”
Not only is Corrales’ work ethic evident in her athletic achievements but across Kremmling, as well. Ralin Corrales jumps at the chance to help, recently assisting the Mountain Parks annual meeting. “I really like helping people,” she explains. A coworker at The Moose Café, Reilly Weimer confirms, “She’s a very hard worker.”
That hard work caught the eye of Cornell coach Karly Brautigam: “First, I thought she’d be a great fit academically, she’s a strong student and obviously athletically gifted. She has the desire and drive to get better, and that’s what we look for.”
Once Corrales visited Cornell’s campus, she immediately felt at home. “The environment is welcoming,” she explains. Founded in 1853, Cornell College distinguishes itself as a visionary leader in higher education. In fact, Cornell College was among the first to recognize the science of education and to award women the same degree as men. Cornell College is set in the heart of Mount Vernon, Iowa.
Excited by the changes, Corrales admits she’ll miss her hometown, “It’s reassuring that Kremmling will always kinda be the same,” she says. In addition to pole vaulting on Cornell’s track team, Corrales plans to study psychology and early childhood development. Whether academically or physically, “It’s exciting to get to new heights and continually improve,” Corrales explains. Certainly, there’s no limit to the heights Ralin Corrales will soar to.
 was joined by her family at her official signing for Cornell Univeristy. (Back L to R) Grandparents Sam and Laurie Henderhan, sister Erika Moffat, ,mother Krisit Moffat and (Front L to R) brother James Moffat and Corrales.){kind=link}