The 2015-2016 school year has provided some great highlights in both cross country and track across the Sunshine State. In the coming weeks many of our seniors will head out to start their college careers both athletically and academically. We wanted to salute them one more time in this special feature and say thank you for your support over the years.
Flrunners.com: What was your most memorable race/moment?
Jarelis Cabrera: My most memorable race was probably this year at a home Varsity Track and Field Trinity Meet when I came back from Spring Break with barely training and ran a new PR and almost broke the school record by .01 seconds.
FLR: Who would you consider your biggest competition over your four years?
JC: Honestly not really anyone but myself. Every year and every race I would try to beat myself and run so fast that my legs wouldn't be able to catch up with my thoughts. So my biggest competition would be myself every single race.
FLR: What was your greatest accomplishment?
JC: My greatest accomplishment was last year the first meet I EVER ran 110 M high hurdles. I truly didn't think I was going to make it over one of them but I gave it a shot and just ran right through them. Now for someone that is 5'2" and the hurdles being nearly half my height it felt like I accomplished the IMPOSSIBLE and made it POSSIBLE.
FLR: If you could do it all over again what would you change about your running career in high school?
JC: The only thing I would tell myself is to not be so hard on yourself. Yea you want to PR and yea you want to be aggressive to each hurdle but to smile EVERY RACE and be more light hearted.
FLR: What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
JC: The most difficult obstacles I had to overcome was last year the mental block and LITERAL physical hurdle block of getting over it (at least one).
FLR: What will you miss the most?
JC: I will really really miss my hurdle squad. We became really close this year and went out for boba tea and pizza. We trained hard together and cried over hard workouts (#LONG LIVE TRINITY TRIPLES). And most of all I'm going to really miss my coach JOLLY ROGER(aka coach rogers). You were the MOST motivational, helpful, funny, and super awesome running and hurdling coach I ever had. Truly if it wasn't for you I probably, scratch that, I would NEVER have run hurdles if it wasn't for you. Thanks for giving me the confidence when I had none.
FLR: What advice you would give to younger athletes?
Dear youngins,
TRY your hardest and push past your limit. When you think about giving up or are 100 meters away from finishing your hard workout. DON'T WALK. DON'T SLOW DOWN. RUN like it is the LAST time you ever going to run in your life (like a bear or some other terrifying creature is chasing you) because that LAST 100 METER SPRINT/RUN is that little extra push your going to need in your race to finish in the place you want.
Also try something new like hurdling, throwing, long distance you really never know what you are good at until you try it.
Finally have fun, smile, bond with your teammates through hard workouts and cheer with them through their races because THEY really understand what it's like to give up their FRIDAY evenings just for running.
FLR: What influence has your coach had with respect to your performance and overall life goals?
JC: Coach Rogers(hurdling and sprint coach) really has helped me shape the way I run in a way that fits me. He also has given me the confidence, motivation, and fire to be aggressive to hurdles even while being shorter than everyone else. Honestly without Coach Rogers I would just end up running the 100 meter and some other sprinting events without even daring to try a hurdle in front. Also going to have to thank Coach Arney for throwing me into the hurdle squad believing that I would do well there without knowing how much work it would be.
JC: Overall life goals- Coach Rogers taught me how to be truly happy and not stressed out about hurdles but also be aggressive and not angry at them. I'm thankful to him for being able to let me connect and train with some olympic hurdlers. That really inspired and showed me the level of dedication needed to be an olympic hurdler.
FLR: What are your college plans?
JC: My plan in college (for University of Miami) is to run in the fall for club track and field while training hard to be a walk on hurdler or sprinter for the actual Spring Track and Field Team.
FLR: Who would you like to say thank you to?
-Thanks to my hurdle squad for making it through hard workouts together. Love you guys.
-Thanks to Kendall Gasner- for being my hurdlee buddy all the way to states.
-Thanks to both Alyssia and Alessa(double A) for bringing the sass and making me laugh during practice.
-Thanks to Jess Marc for keeping it real (Without you our team would be flat with no salt)
-Thanks to George Reuter- For trying something terrestial and not aquatic. (I always knew you could run and swim)
-Thanks to Roger, Kenny, Kurt, and all the other new hurdler guys- You all are very brave for starting and trying to do high hurdles for guys. It's not easy but you can do it with a little practice.
-Thanks HAILEE BAREY (Hayley Canal)- The cookies to my cream. I don't know how I'm going to hurdle without you next year. Thanks for all the support, love, and happiness.
-Thanks Austin Campbell- All though I don't want to admit it- You aren't too bad and you low key inspired all of us to go at the workouts as hard as you do.
-Thanks to Adede, Hannah M, Kaitlyn G, and the rest of the track team for making this running year great and surviving workouts together.
MOST OF ALL (if I haven't said it enough) Thank you to COACH Jolly Roger- your the best coach any hurdler could ask for, but you already know that.
FLR: Is there anything else you'd like to add?
JC: DAB.
Jarelis Cabrera: My most memorable race was probably this year at a home Varsity Track and Field Trinity Meet when I came back from Spring Break with barely training and ran a new PR and almost broke the school record by .01 seconds.
FLR: Who would you consider your biggest competition over your four years?
JC: Honestly not really anyone but myself. Every year and every race I would try to beat myself and run so fast that my legs wouldn't be able to catch up with my thoughts. So my biggest competition would be myself every single race.
FLR: What was your greatest accomplishment?
JC: My greatest accomplishment was last year the first meet I EVER ran 110 M high hurdles. I truly didn't think I was going to make it over one of them but I gave it a shot and just ran right through them. Now for someone that is 5'2" and the hurdles being nearly half my height it felt like I accomplished the IMPOSSIBLE and made it POSSIBLE.
FLR: If you could do it all over again what would you change about your running career in high school?
JC: The only thing I would tell myself is to not be so hard on yourself. Yea you want to PR and yea you want to be aggressive to each hurdle but to smile EVERY RACE and be more light hearted.
FLR: What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
JC: The most difficult obstacles I had to overcome was last year the mental block and LITERAL physical hurdle block of getting over it (at least one).
FLR: What will you miss the most?
JC: I will really really miss my hurdle squad. We became really close this year and went out for boba tea and pizza. We trained hard together and cried over hard workouts (#LONG LIVE TRINITY TRIPLES). And most of all I'm going to really miss my coach JOLLY ROGER(aka coach rogers). You were the MOST motivational, helpful, funny, and super awesome running and hurdling coach I ever had. Truly if it wasn't for you I probably, scratch that, I would NEVER have run hurdles if it wasn't for you. Thanks for giving me the confidence when I had none.
FLR: What advice you would give to younger athletes?
Dear youngins,
TRY your hardest and push past your limit. When you think about giving up or are 100 meters away from finishing your hard workout. DON'T WALK. DON'T SLOW DOWN. RUN like it is the LAST time you ever going to run in your life (like a bear or some other terrifying creature is chasing you) because that LAST 100 METER SPRINT/RUN is that little extra push your going to need in your race to finish in the place you want.
Also try something new like hurdling, throwing, long distance you really never know what you are good at until you try it.
Finally have fun, smile, bond with your teammates through hard workouts and cheer with them through their races because THEY really understand what it's like to give up their FRIDAY evenings just for running.
FLR: What influence has your coach had with respect to your performance and overall life goals?
JC: Coach Rogers(hurdling and sprint coach) really has helped me shape the way I run in a way that fits me. He also has given me the confidence, motivation, and fire to be aggressive to hurdles even while being shorter than everyone else. Honestly without Coach Rogers I would just end up running the 100 meter and some other sprinting events without even daring to try a hurdle in front. Also going to have to thank Coach Arney for throwing me into the hurdle squad believing that I would do well there without knowing how much work it would be.
JC: Overall life goals- Coach Rogers taught me how to be truly happy and not stressed out about hurdles but also be aggressive and not angry at them. I'm thankful to him for being able to let me connect and train with some olympic hurdlers. That really inspired and showed me the level of dedication needed to be an olympic hurdler.
FLR: What are your college plans?
JC: My plan in college (for University of Miami) is to run in the fall for club track and field while training hard to be a walk on hurdler or sprinter for the actual Spring Track and Field Team.
FLR: Who would you like to say thank you to?
-Thanks to my hurdle squad for making it through hard workouts together. Love you guys.
-Thanks to Kendall Gasner- for being my hurdlee buddy all the way to states.
-Thanks to both Alyssia and Alessa(double A) for bringing the sass and making me laugh during practice.
-Thanks to Jess Marc for keeping it real (Without you our team would be flat with no salt)
-Thanks to George Reuter- For trying something terrestial and not aquatic. (I always knew you could run and swim)
-Thanks to Roger, Kenny, Kurt, and all the other new hurdler guys- You all are very brave for starting and trying to do high hurdles for guys. It's not easy but you can do it with a little practice.
-Thanks HAILEE BAREY (Hayley Canal)- The cookies to my cream. I don't know how I'm going to hurdle without you next year. Thanks for all the support, love, and happiness.
-Thanks Austin Campbell- All though I don't want to admit it- You aren't too bad and you low key inspired all of us to go at the workouts as hard as you do.
-Thanks to Adede, Hannah M, Kaitlyn G, and the rest of the track team for making this running year great and surviving workouts together.
MOST OF ALL (if I haven't said it enough) Thank you to COACH Jolly Roger- your the best coach any hurdler could ask for, but you already know that.
FLR: Is there anything else you'd like to add?
JC: DAB.