My greatest moment was getting All American in the 5k at indoor nationals. It was such a great experience to make that trip to New York and I am glad it turned out as well as it did. Even though the race was 25 laps long it was a blur and I just remember being so happy when I crossed the finish line that I turned around at yelled at my coach that we did it!
What is your biggest regret (related to T&F in high school) or what would you have done differently and why?
My biggest regret was not winning a state title. Cross Country States was so much fun even though I lost because I was proud of my race and I lost to a great competitor. Indoor and outdoor did not go as well because I got pretty sick twice this year and it happened to be 2 weeks before indoor states and a week before outdoor states which didn't help but it did not change the fact that I had a super fun year. I should have gotten my flu shot which I know my coach was not happy about but sometimes its just rough luck and you can't do anything about it.
What will you miss the most about HS T&F/XC?
The thing that I will miss most about high school running is the friends I have made. Going from seeing my high school teammates everyday for practice to not seeing them at all while I am in college will be different but I am excited for the next step and I know I will make many new friends in the process. Luckily I get to spend another 4 years with my high school teammate Nianza at Charlotte.
What is some advice from incoming frosh and rising seniors on your high school team that you would like to share with them?
Some advice that I would give high school runners is to have fun and make sure to include everyone on the team. Running is not just about PRs and winning. Inviting JV runners and making them feel included is important because you never know who is going to be a great team leader one day or future varsity runner. Shout out to Jack Banask who always included me and threw me the frisbee during ultimate games freshman year even though I dropped it every time.
What was the hardest workout you did your entire high school career? Did you like it or did you dread it?
The hardest workout I did was a workout to practice doubling for indoor. It was a broken 800 with 30 seconds rest in between (500-1:13, 300-46) then a broken 3200 with 2 min rest in between (2000-6:04, 1200-3:41) a little less than 30 min later. The times were not what I wanted that day but I remember it being so mentally challenging by myself in the wind, cold, and rain. I didn't get a chance to dread it before because my coach only told me about what the workout was just a few minutes before it started but I was dreading the 2 mile pace after I had the speed in my legs. Tough workouts like those really are not fun during but after it feels good to know you finished and are more fit because of it.
How did you make track/XC a very individual sport into more of a team sport?
I made track more of a team sport because I loved helping my teammates by giving them advice about running and helping them be the best runner they could be. Even though not every runner will go to all the meets it makes is so special to see your teammates on the sideline cheering you on and when you get to cheer them on during their race. It was awesome to see a bunch of my teammates in the stands at Raleigh Relays this past year cheering me on.
Finally, what are your college plans? Will you be competing in college, where? What do you plan on studying? What do you have as career plans?
I am going to the college of engineering at UNC Charlotte where I will run cross country and track. I plan on studying civil engineering and being a structural engineer after college.
Anything else you'd like to add or shoutouts you'd like to give?
I would like to shout out my Dad and my Coach who made me the runner and person I am today. I may have not gotten a state title for Coach Adams and myself but I felt like we had a pretty good year with some fun opportunities.
High School
