What was your most memorable race/moment?
My most memorable race was the cross country regional championship my junior year. It was the first race I ran sub 16 and it was a very interesting race. I was in second the whole race and with about 600m to go we were coming up on the big hill before the finish. I made my move there and took the lead. I kept the pace the rest of the race finishing with a personnal best of 15:48!
Who would you consider your biggest competition over your four years?
Definitely all the distance guys from St. Thomas Aquinas. They are a very talented group of guys. I have a lot of respect for them. They were always the guys to try and beat. Sticking with them pulled me to some good times my past three years.
What was your greatest accomplishment?
My greatest accomplishment was my overall junior season of cross country and earning the 2012 Broward County Runner of the Year award.
If you could do it all over again what would you change about your running career in high school?
I would change the time I started. I joined my sophomore year and I feel my freshman year we would have been cross country ztate qualifiers with that team that was there before I joined.
What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
The biggest obstacle I had to over come was my own mind. I had to learn how to push through the pain in races and run without fear.
What will you miss the most?
I will miss making memories with my amazing team and coach. I'll miss all the workouts and races together and the team get togethers. They are definitely my second family.
What advice would you give to younger athletes?
My advice to younger athletes is run fearless because you'll never know what you can do unless you give it a try. If you run afraid you will be holding back so much of what you're capable of.
What influence has your coach had with respect to your performance and overall life goals?
Coach Pedro Gonzalez has everything to do with my success. He picked me up from the basketball team and changed me into a runner. He trained me hard and always believed in me. Without him I would not be attending college to run.
What are your college plans?
I plan to attend Saint Leo University in the fall to run cross country and track. I plan on majoring in Health Sciences and eventually hope to get accepted into graduate school to study Physical Therapy.
Who would you like to say thank you to?
I would like to thank my teammates for such an unbelievable three years. I would like to thank my grandparents for helping me attend all the races that made me the runner I am today. I'd like to thank my whole family for believing in me and my coach.
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Thank you flrunners for all the awesome cross country and track news and stats. I love looking at my stats after a race and being able to confirm my times!
More Coverage
Do you know a class of 2014 track and field or cross country athlete? We'd like to salute them! Have them answer the following questions plus send 2-3 photos (can not be from another website or publication) to Todd.Grasley@flocasts.com.