Lake Howell senior Jan Figueroa capped off his high school cross country career placing 8th at the 4A Cross Country Finals. Heading into his final season on the track, Figueroa will have the pressures of recruiting taken off his shoulders. He recently announced he will spend his college career at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers. We talked to Jan about his decision, the goals for 2016, the future, and much more.
Jan Figueroa: The recruiting process for me didn't really start until after cross country season. After placing top 10 at the state meet, that's when the process really started to take place.
JF: I was considering UNF, USF, and FGCU. I visited UNF and USF unofficially, but FGCU was my only official visit.
FLR: What sold you most about the Eagles' program?
JF: What sold me on FGCU was how amazing the campus was and just the atmosphere and good vibes I got while I was there on my visit. Also, the coaching staff seems to be very invested in their athletes and the athletes seem like a hard working group that likes to have fun. Overall, FGCU had all the qualities of a school that I think will be a perfect fit for me.
FLR: FGCU has had success with Florida standouts. Argeo Cruz ran at Immokalee and is now an assistant coach with the Eagles, and the roster boasts six of it's ten from Florida. Have you had a chance to talk to any of those runners with Sunshine State ties?
JF: While on my visit I got the chance to talk with Coach Cruz. I knew about him being standout at the high school level, but he was also a standout at the collegiate level. He's a very humble guy and has a lot of knowledge about running, so I'm looking forward to working with him over the next few years. I also got the chance to meet Troy, he's a great guy that loves the sport of cross country and likes to have fun with it. We got the chance to play basketball together and he's actually a really good basketball player, I think he might be in the wrong sport. There's also a lot of former high school Florida runners that run for FGCU and I can't wait to be a part of the team.
FLR: A majority of the distance runners either committed in the fall or are waiting until after track season to see if they can improve their times. Why the decision to commit now?
JF: I decided to commit early because once I went on my visit to FGCU, I was sold on the school. From the beautiful campus, to the amazing coaching staff, and the great group of guys. Everything about it seemed perfect and it seems like I'll fit right in. But now that the recruiting process is done, I can fully focus on track season and accomplish all of the goals I have in mind.
FLR: Speaking of track, it's a matter of weeks before the first official races. What are those goals you have in mind for the 2016 season?
JF: Now that I'm done with the recruiting process I will put all my focus on finishing out my senior year strong both on the track and in school. I want to be sub 4:25 in the mile and sub 9:30 in the 2 mile by the time states comes around, because I would like to hopefully double at the state meet and medal in both of those events. I would also like to drop my 800 time below 1:57, but that would be a bonus if I do it.
FLR: What are you looking forward to the most about competing after high school?
FLR: Who would you like to thank for helping you get to this point in your life?
JF: I can write a book about people who I would like to thank for helping me get to where I am, but I'll try to keep it short. First off, I would like to thank my parents for everything they've done for me since day one and for always being supportive of me in every decision I make. I would like to thank Coach Rothrock who has had a huge impact on my life not only as a runner, but as a person. I would like to thank any teammate who has ever ran with me for pushing me to become the runner I am today and for all the great memories that I will never forget. I would like to thank all my friends who have supported me over the last four years. Also would like to thank all the other runners from other schools who I've made great friendships with over the last four years. Most importantly, I would like to thank God because without him none of this would have been possible.
