Salute To Seniors: Salvador Medrano - John I. Leonard High School

What was your most memorable race?

My most memorable race would have to be the 2012 Fleet Feet Invitational at South Fork High School. Even though I didn't have such a good time, which was 17:09.30 I still placed third and was proud of it because it was a tough course. It was all muddy race day because it rained the day before, but thats why it's my most memorable race because that's what I expected cross country races to be like when I first joined.  

Who would you consider your biggest competition over your high school career?

I have only been running for two years, but out of those  years there wasn't much competition for me cross country season until track season when I had to fight to be first with my teammate Charlie Bengtson throughout the whole season in both the 1600 and 3200.

What was your greatest accomplishment?

My greatest accomplishment would have to be placing fourth at FHSAA 4A cross country state finals with a time of 15:45. It's a great accomplishment for me because I only ran cross country for two years and I beat people who had been running all four years of high school. Also I would say another great accomplishment, I  did was quitting football to run cross country. 

If you could do it all over again what would you change about your running career in high school?

The only thing that I would change about my running career in high school is not waiting till junior year to run cross country because I believe if I joined freshman year that I would've been a lot better then I am now.

What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?

I would have to say the most difficult obstacle for me would have to be the heat. Even though I lived in Florida my whole life I still can't stand the heat when I'm running. If it is too hot outside during a race I don't do to well because it gets to me both mentally and physically.

What will you miss the most?

What I would miss most is my teammates Charlie Bengtson, Nick Martel, Brian Perez because we hang out a lot and since we are all going to different colleges we won't be able to hang out as often. Also i would miss my coach, Coach Jordan, he is one of the best coaches in Florida. With his coaching skills he could coach at a collegiate level.

What advice you would give to younger athletes?

The advice I would give to younger athletes is that running isn't just a physical sport it is also mental. It doesn't matter how strong you are physically you also need to have the mentality to not give up and push yourself to achieve your best. 

What influence has your coach had with respect to your performance and overall life goals?

My coach helped me so much to get me where I am at now. All the time and money he sacrificed for the team. Plus the collegiate workouts he gives us helped me a lot. 

What are your college plans?

Right now I haven't decided what school I will be attending, but the decision should come soon.

Who would you like to say thank you to?

I would like to thank my coach for helping me out the past two years and never giving up on me. I would like to thank my family for being there for me and paying for my expenses like shoes, trips, etc.

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

You never know what you will be good at until you try it. For example, when i first came into high school running cross country or track did not come across my mind. All that was on my mind entering high school was playing football (which I wasn't too good at). Until my sophomore year when I came out to track just to gain speed for football. The track coach started me off with the 400 meters and gradually moved me up to the 1600 and 3200. At first i hated running those but after like 2- 4 meets i noticed time improvement in both and so did my coach and teammates. Later on in the season my teammates kept asking me to join cross country. It was a tough decision for me, but I can see that I made the right decision noticing all the goals I accomplished and PR's I set. That comes to show that there is something out there for everyone you just have to make sacrifices to find them.

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