What was your most memorable race?
Great American my junior year. I had just moved down to Florida that summer from North Carolina, where we ran the Wakemed course several times each year. This meet was a sort of coming-home for me to a course I knew so well. I ran a 53-second PR and we won the Race of Champions.
What would you consider your biggest competition?
FSU Relays 3200. I got 16th at the meet and my time ranked me 16th in Florida. I think that speaks for how stacked the race was.
Out of all of your high school accomplishments, which stands out the most?
In my first 5k my freshman year I ran 20:56. A few weeks ago at Holy Trinity I ran 15:50. Behind this five-minute improvement lies thousands of miles of training. Ultimately, it is not the race times I am proud of but the work that went into achieving them.
If you could do it all over again what would you change about your running career in high school?
I would have gotten serious about running earlier. I didn't have a full summer of training until the summer before junior year. I can't help but wonder what I would have done if I had run all summer as a freshman and sophomore.
What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
Moving halfway through high school. Fortunately, I went to camp over the summer with my new Trinity team and started running with them before I started school. This gave me a group of friends I already knew on the first day of school.
What will you miss the most?
I will miss my teammates. The bonds we have formed through our shared experiences, struggles, and triumphs have brought me closer to this group of boys than anyone else in my life.
Do you have any advice for younger athletes?
Look up to the older runners and let them help you get better. I guarantee they want to see you succeed in the future at least as much as you do.
What are your college plans?
I will be going to Harvard in the fall. I don't plan to run for them, but I will never give up running.
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