Name: Dylan Carder
School: Berthoud High School
Q) What was your most memorable race/throw/jump/vault/moment?
I would say my most memorable race would have to be Liberty Bell 2019. Liberty Bell always gets so hyped up for being fast so when you have a good race there it feels good to live up to the meets 'expectations'. That was my PR race senior year.
Q) Who would you consider your biggest competition over your four years?
I would say teammates and those around me in the region. It's been a blessing to have such great competition to allow me to be a better runner everyday.
Q) What was your greatest accomplishment?
I would say my greatest accomplishment is my progression and dedication. I was a 22 minute 5ker my freshman year and I didn't let that stop me from pursuing running hard my junior and senior year. I am happy knowing I leave high school with a lot left to give.
Q) If you could do it all over again what would you change about your career in high school?
If I could do it all over again, I would've started caring sooner and listening to the training that my coaches were giving us. Consistency was not there for me early on and I wish it would've been.
Q) What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
Injuries would be the hardest obstacle I have had to overcome. My senior XC senior didn't end how I wanted because of an injury but it has taught me a whole other love and respect for running that I didn't value before.
Q) What will you miss the most?
I will miss the summer runs and workouts and bus rides the most. The relaxed family feel of summer training is amazing but nothing can come close to the bus ride home on a BHSXC bus after a good meet.
Q) What advice would you give to younger athletes?
The greatest advice I could give would be to really treat running with what you want to get out of it. If it's something you care about, then make sure you do everything right from food, recovery, and workouts. That hard work will pay off at some point.
Q) What influence has your coach had with respect to your performance and overall life goals?
The coaching staff at BHS is the only reason I was able to accomplish the things that I did. Coach Jennings was dedicated to me even when I was the slower JV runner that I was because he cares about all of his athletes. His compassion to the sport and our school is something that I will always remember and be thankful for. A lot of people care about the team at Berthoud and it's that collective coaching that really makes athletes special.
Q) What are your college plans?
I will be attending North Central College in Naperville, IL to pursue my love for running on the XC and Track and Field teams and study pre-medical sciences.
Q) Who would you like to say 'thank you' to?
I would like to say thank you to all of the Berthoud community, family, and friends who supported me throughout the journey. I would also like to say thank you to the coaching staff again because without all of the support from them I wouldn't be the runner I am today.
Q) Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Throughout quarantine I just encourage all of the athletes out there struggling with motivation to just go back to the love of the sport and just enjoy the process that has been dealt to us.
