Unlike many teenagers, Alfredo Corral likes to do everything fast. If the senior track star at The Bishop’s School has something to do, he wants to get it done right away — a trait that translates well on the track. “I run as hard as I can,” Corral said. “I do all my homework as fast as I can and I study as much as I can.” Corral has already used his blazing speed this season to set a new school record in the 400-meter dash. With a time of 48.79 seconds at the Arcadia Invitational in April, he broke a Bishop’s mark that had stood for nearly 10 years. “It was surprising because I wasn’t expecting to do it so early in the season,” Corral said. Breaking the record marked a defining moment in the track star’s tenure at Bishop’s. “He was so happy,” track team co-head coach Jessica Mercado said. “He wanted to leave (Bishop’s) and graduate having broken the record.” Besides being one of the best runners at Bishop’s, Corral has also emerged as a leader of the track team. He has been known to lend a helping hand to underclassmen and is the first to encourage teammates whenever the coaches are having a hard time getting the squad to keep pushing on. “He helps me at practice,” Mercado said. “When one kid won’t go hard he will notice and get on them and he also leads by example.” Corral is also a fast thinker, and the combination of his athletic abilities and work in the classroom has earned him a place at Stanford University, where he will begin as a freshman in the fall. He is leaning toward studying economics at the prestigious school. The ambitious Corral said his relentless drive comes from his parents, who instilled in him at a very early age the drive to always work hard. “All that hard work I’ve done has paid off,” Corral said. Although his excellent grades and high SAT scores are what got him into Stanford, Corral will also be competing for the school’s nationally-touted track team. It will be a big change from the friendly confines of Bishop’s, but Corral is up for the challenge. Before he turns his focus to higher learning, Corral has some unfinished business he would like to accomplish in his senior year. His primary goal is to qualify for the CIF State Championships in June. Last year he finished agonizingly close but fell just short of the cutoff — and that was all the motivation this upstart needed to push harder than ever in training for the track season. “From day one he has always worked hard,” Mercado said. “He gives 110 percent in everything we do and every workout.” With a big chunk of the season still to go, Corral hopes to top his school record again. With his work ethic and positive outlook, that seems like a strong likelihood.