Is a state final on the horizon for CSU's Kuo?

"The best part of flying is the takeoff," said Kuo, who will be attending Brown University in the fall. "It's definitely a release and a place where you can get away."

Kuo's flying exploits has served as a metaphor for her daily life: everything is looking up. From her academics to her athletics to her many varying extracurricular activities, Kuo soars in each of her endeavors, and just like when she's up in the air looking at the horizon, her potential is limitless.

Needs to crack the top four

After finishing fifth in the shot put in each of the last two years at the North Coast Section Meet of Champions - the top four advance to the California Interscholastic Federation State Meet - Kuo is intent on breaking through to Sacramento in her final push for track and field glory.

The 5-foot-5 phenomenon has established personal-bests twice this year, both of which came within a week of one another. At the Philips-McCann Invitational on April 23, she went 40 feet, 6 inches. A week later at the Warren-Eaton Meet at Acalanes High School, Kuo shattered her PR with a throw of 41-8 1/2, a mark that would qualify as third-best in the Central Coast Section. But in the vaunted NCS, of which Crystal Springs Upland is a member, Kuo only has the fifth - there's that dreaded number again - best mark. Safe to say, it's probably going to take another career day from Kuo to advance to state. Can she do it?

You bet she can.

"I've worked so hard leading up to this point," Kuo said, "that it would be really disappointing if I didn't go to state. I cried a long time when I didn't make it last year."

Making the most with what she's got

Facing girls with a distinct height and weight advantage, Kuo doesn't fit the bill of your average shot putter. She makes up for whatever physical limitations she has in sheer will and tenacity, and, even more importantly, with flawless technique.

"The taller person definitely has the advantage in the shot put because they can get so much more extension," Kuo said. "The taller you are, the further you can push it. I'm sure I'll be the shortest person on the Brown track and field team. But I never looked at my height as a hurdle. You work with what you got and you can't complain with what life gives you."

CSU track and field coach Albert Caruana said he's blessed that a talent such as Kuo came through and actually was a pioneer to the program. When Kuo was a freshman, CSU had no track and field team; today, there are 37 members.

"With her dedication, skill and the way she competes, she's left a mark for others to follow," Caruana said. "It's neat to have other kids succeeding because of her. I always get a laugh when we're at meets and people come up to me and ask how she threw so far. The other girls tower over her. At the NCS championships, when they do introductions, you can barely see Sam when she's in the middle of the other big girls. Then she goes out and does what she does, and it's pretty amazing."

More than just athletics

Among her other interests, Kuo played three years of volleyball and did two years of swimming; she's in a choir, goes horseback riding and coaches the shot put to middle school students who aspire to be just like her. She wants to learn Russian, Thai and Arabic; and major in astronomy, math, science or a government-related field. She credits her parents, Sue and K.S., for encouraging her to try many things that would make her happy.

"I've lived a charmed life," Kuo said. "I know I have a good family and I was born in good circumstances. I'm very lucky."

Among the activities Kuo hasn't done and wants to try: skydiving and going to outer space. There's a theme working here, and it all started when Kuo would look up at the stars and dream big. She always and still wants to be an astronaut, although she's not sure if going boldly where few women have gone before is the path she wants to take. Her love for aviation and space manifested itself the summer before she entered the seventh-grade.

Learning to fly

Visiting family in Thailand, Kuo got a taste of flying after her uncle, a pilot, let her stay in the cockpit and take the controls. Soon after Kuo had dreams of attending the Air Force Academy; the Colorado Springs-based school accepted her but she decided on Brown because "something clicked."

"I just love to fly," she said. "There's so much freedom when you're out there, and it's a great feeling. It's scary, too. I haven't mastered the landing yet. When the ground is coming at you, it can be pretty nerve-wracking."

Kuo is still thinking about a military career after getting her degree, and who knew she would one day be flying the friendly skies? Kuo's parents had to chuckle and must have found it ironic when their ambitious daughter decided to go for a pilot's license. After all, wasn't this the same person who used to get airsick and cry on commercial flights?

"I used to fly all the time when I was younger and it wasn't a fun experience," Kuo said.