Holy Trinity senior Alex Brown, is the reigning 1A Cross Country Finals Champion, and has been an integral part of the Tigers' success over the past few years. Recently, Brown followed in the footsteps of another HT alumni, Kyle Cooke, when he decided to continue his running career at Columbia University.
What has the recruiting process been like for you?
The recruiting process was relatively smooth, but could definitely be frustrating at times. Talking to various coaches was exciting, but could lead to disappointment with lack of spots/times/whatever. With Columbia and the coaches there things went well, and after my visit I was fairly sure that it was the place for me.
What other schools did you visit?
I had taken unofficial visits to Duke, UVA, and Georgetown, but the only official visit was to Columbia. It was my number one choice before that, but afterwards I was only more convinced.
Why did you ultimately choose Columbia?
To me, their combination of a solid education and fantastic running program made it seem like a very good fit. I was also a big fan of New York City. There’s a lot of opportunity there, and college seems like a good time to experience living in a place like that. Finally, their coaches and team were awesome. I felt very welcomed, and as though I would be able to succeed there.
How important was the balance of an amazing education combined with a great running team in a great conference?
I think that this type balance is necessary when looking into a school, and something I emphasized with the schools I put on my list.
Former Holy Trinity alum Kyle Cooke went there. Did you have a chance to talk with him about the school and if so, what did he tell you?
I did talk with him a lot about it and about his time there. He was very happy with his experience and gave me a ton of useful info about the campus, training, workload, athlete life, etc.
Your team now at Holy Trinity is a very close knit group and family. What was your relationship with the coaches and rest of the team like?
Our team is extremely close. All the guys on the team are very good friends, and tend to hang out quite a lot. Coach Butler is an excellent coach who knows what he’s doing, and I just tried to trust all my training and racing to him.
What kind of runner are they getting in Alex Brown?I consider myself a pretty coachable person, and one who can trust and adhere to training plans. I’ll try to continue the success they’ve got.
What are you looking forward to the most?
I’m looking forward to a totally new environment and lifestyle. Everything will be changed, and I think it’ll be for the best. Academic, training, and living will all be much different than they are now, but I’m definitely looking forward to it.
You've ran with a lot of great runners and great teams over the past couple of years at Holy Trinity. What are you going to miss the most?
Holy Trinity has left me knowing some of the best people I could ask for, including coaches, fellow students, and athletes who have moved on to the collegiate level. Winning state titles with the team has also been surreal.
What are your goals for the rest of this season and beyond?
I’m looking to lower my PRs as much as possible, especially in the 1600 and 3200, and also to have some further success at the state meet.
