FAYETTEVILLE — Aminah Ghaffar has competed in more races than she can count over her high school career, but the hardest obstacle she’s faced in the last six months was choosing where to spend her next four years.

The Fayetteville Academy senior and Lumberton native will make things official today when she signs a national letter of intent to East Carolina University, a Conference USA competitor with a track and field program that’s on the rise.

“I feel relaxed now that the decision is behind me,” Ghaffar said Tuesday. “I’ve worked really hard to get this far and I just need to keep pushing to be the best I can be.”

Ghaffar owns a pair of state private school records in the 100m and 300m hurdles and is a 10-time state track champion. Her 4,464-point total in the state’s heptathlon is second all-time and more than 300 points better than the current school record at ECU.

She chose the Pirates over offers from N.C. State, UNC Charlotte and UNC Wilmington, among several others. She has trained the last few months for her final prep season this spring and decided to take a break from basketball to focus on indoor track events.

Ghaffar’s also played volleyball during her high school career.

Ghaffar ended the 2012 outdoor track season ranked first overall in North Carolina for all classifications in the heptathlon and ninth in the country. She captured an AAU Junior Olympics bronze medal last summer in the event. In Greenville, she plans to compete her first year in the 100m hurdles, 400m hurdles and heptathlon.

The Pirates got on Ghaffar’s trail last summer and stayed in contact until an official visit in January. There, Ghaffar attended an athletic banquet and felt “comfortable” with the track coaching staff.

“We felt like in talking with the coaches that she should at least have a chance at becoming a school record holder in the heptathlon early in her career,” said Abdul Ghaffar, Aminah’s father and director of Angel Elite Sports in Pembroke. “She’s been running since she was eight years old and I think she’s ready for this opportunity.”

Ghaffar plans on attending medical school at ECU and says that factored into her final decision. For the time being, her top priority is a spot in the state championships this spring.

“I’m really excited for the season to begin and I think it’ll be great,” Ghaffar said.