Q) What do you plan to study at Wyoming?
I plan to study Civil Engineering
Q) What got you into running in the first place?
I honestly never knew what cross country was until Heritage Christian Academy made a team in 2012 and my sister went out for it. It took me awhile to understand what exactly the point of it was; you see, I was a soccer guy so the concept of running just for the sake of running was silly to me. But the more I hung around the team and the sport I fell in love with it. Moreover Coach Joe was my Bible teacher in 8th grade and I knew that even if I hated running I would it would all be worth it for him.
Q) You've had success in everything from the 800 on on up to the 5k, what would you say your favorite event is, and why?
For me, the longer the race the better. I fell in love with the 3200 this track season but you can't replace the 5k in my book. Races like that come with a lot more strategy and grit than anything else and I love being able to run my own race.
Q) You made a massive improvement from your junior year to your senior year (2:05 to 1:58, 4:41 to 4:25, 9:59 to 9:31, 16:40 to 15:41), talk about what you did over the past year to make these leaps.
It all came down to the summer for me. After junior year I had some scores to settle and I knew that I was close to a breakthrough, I just wasn't quite there yet. So I trained, not because I had anything to prove but simply because I loved my team and I loved the sport. Not only did I train harder than I did in past summers, but I trained smarter. Coach Joe and I sat down after the track season ended and we dreamed big. We never set a goal of a 5k time I wanted to reach, but rather to run better workouts than I had in the past. And most importantly I was consistent. Shoutout to Cody for being my training partner through every workout and run, you're like a brother to me!
Q) What event do you see yourself focusing on at Wyoming?
I see myself focusing on the 8k/10k. I love those longer races and the training behind them so I can see that behind my main focus.
Q) What would your favorite high school moment be?
Every moment I got to spend with Coach Joe. Its not the state championships I remember its the little things we did in between with him. Whether we were climbing 14ers, getting too competitive in dumb games on long bus rides, running 12 miles when Joe said it'd only be 4, going bald like him because we lost a bet, camping in Utah, or eating ice cream pancakes in his living room after a long run. The list goes on with Coach Joe.
