Q) Talk about the recruitment process - what other schools were you looking at, and how did you come to choosing the University of Alaska-Anchorage?
I was looking at a lot of schools but my top three choices were Arizona State University, Colorado, and obviously Alaska. I really was interested in the opportunity of running at two good Pac 12 schools but overall Alaska was just the best fit for me both in athletics and personal aspects.
Q) What do you plan to study at Alaska-Anchorage?
I will be studying Aviation with a hopeful minor in finance, a lot of my schooling will be spent in the air flying planes through Alaska which is pretty rad for sure.
Q) What event do you see yourself focusing on at Alaska-Anchorage?
I honestly think I would make a good mid-distance runner in college, but I will likely just focus on whatever I need to do to help the team out as much as possible.
Q) You've had success in the 1,600 on up to the 5k, which event would you say is your favorite, and why?
My favorite event would definitely be the 5k, mostly because I love cross country. A cross country race is just the best measure of how much guts a person has and how hard they are willing to push themselves, especially on a harder courses.
Q) You've made a really big jump from sophomore to junior year, and again this fall on the cross country course - what would you say attributed to such improvements?
I would definitely say that many improvements of mine have largely been attributed to the summer mileage seasons. My coaches and I always have believed that the most you can do for yourself as a runner is to just get out every day and pump out as many miles as you can.
Q) The first result we have on you on MileSplit is a 20:10 5k, 42nd place finish at the Broomfield Invite from September 2016 - what do you remember from this race?
I remember feeling strange that the rest of my team had raced twice already but I had joined a couple weeks late because I didn't know cross country existed. I also remember that I brought a bunch of Chik-fil-A for my team because that race was on my birthday, so I was just excited to spend time with my team.
Q) What got you interested in running in the first place?
I originally was running to get in shape for basketball and joined the team because I had a couple friends on the team who wanted me to join. I immediately loved the sport because unlike most sports I have played, your success in directly based on how hard you work, and how tough you are in a race.
Q) Could you share any goals you have for your senior year?
My main goal was to place top 5 at the 5A Cross Country State Championship. In track I have never found the success I had in cross country so I am hoping to break that slump and finish high school strong so I can head out to the Great White North with a solid track season on my resume.
Q) What would your favorite high school moment be?
Definitely our teams movie night at the beginning of this season after the D'Evelyn Dash. We packed about 40 people into a small basement and watched a scary movie together. Those moments with my team are definitely what I am going to miss the most about high school cross country.
