What was your most memorable race/moment?
My most memorable race was the Flrunners Invitational my junior year. Fresh off a new PR and breaking 17 for the first time the previous week before at North Port, I was hungry to PR again. Remembering my splits from the week before, I came through the two-mile split seven seconds slower. Fearing I wouldn't break 17:00 again, I took off, pushing myself more than I ever had before in a race and ended up finishing with a six second PR at the time of 16:50.
Who would you consider your biggest competition over your four years?
3A Region 3 as a whole has been so competitive over the last four years and has been filled with talent. With great competition at every meet, it definitely taught me to have to fight for every place, especially in the postseason.
What was your greatest accomplishment?
My greatest accomplishment was being a two-timestate finalist. My teammates and I have worked so hard over the last four years and to qualify twice after a seven year absence for the program shows our determination and rebuilding of a team has finally paid off. As Coach Thomas always told the varsity guys, "you will be a state finalist for the rest of your life and no one can take that away from you."
If you could do it all over again what would you change about your running career in high school?
If I could do it all over I would put more focus in my offseason training especially throughout my freshman and sophomore years. There were definitely more miles that I could've ran to make myself stronger and better prepared for the upcoming cross country or track season.
What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
I got injured freshman year due to growth in my knees and I wasn't able to run track at all that season.
What will you miss the most?
Without a doubt, I'll miss all my teammates and the bonds we've made as a team over the years.
What advice would you give to younger runners?
Summer and winter training between seasons is just as important as all the speed work and other workouts your coach has you do to prepare for racing. The long miles make you strong and ready to begin workouts.
What influence has your coach had with respect to your performance and overall life goals?
Coach Thomas has been a phenomenal coach of running and life. His coaching has made me the runner I am today and the reason for my success in cross country. Coach Thomas and Coach George, the guys distance track coach, have both taught me how to succeed in life and how running relates to the real world.
What are your college plans?
I'll be attending the University of Tampa in the fall, running cross country and track, and studying sport management.
Who would you like to say thank you to?
I would like to say thank you to all my coaches for putting in countless hours of holding practice over the years and dedicating their time to improving us as runners. I'd also like to thank my parents for getting me into running in the first place and driving many hours to watch me run by for a few seconds at a time. Thanks to all my teammates for being great friends and creating memories that I'll never forget while also coming together as team to create success.
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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.
