What was your most memorable meet or race?
The 2012 Class 4 District 7 cross country meet is definitely my most memorable race. This race alone made me a believer in the “runner’s high”. It was a race where I raced smart and felt strong throughout every mile, all the while assuring myself that I was going to PR. It was a great meet for my team as well as we finished only six points short of first place, which at the time was a shock to everyone.
Out of all of your high school accomplishments, which stands out to you the most?
For me, it would be receiving the Kansas City Star’s Scholar Athlete Award for Ray-Pec High School. I am proud of this award in particular because it was the product of many years of hard work in the classroom and outside of school.
If you could do it all over again is there anything you would change?
The main change that I would make would be to focus less on time and place and more on just running. Especially in my first years of high school it was easy for me to get caught up and overwhelmed in names and numbers. Now I know that running is really very simple and that there is no need to overcomplicate it.
What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
Dealing with the stress and occasional self-doubt were difficult for me during my high school career. I can say though that I got better at dealing with these obstacles and controlling my nervousness. Race day is just another day at the office.
What will you miss the most?
I know that I’m going to miss my team and my coaches the most as they all have made a huge impact on my life. I’ll also miss the camaraderie that all distance runners have, as well as all of the great people that I have met through competition.
Do you have any advice for younger athletes?
With distance running, consistency and perseverance are incredibly important parts of a successful career. It is also critical for each athlete to find their balance between work and fun, but above all enjoy the time that you have with your team.
What are your college plans?
I’ll be attending UMKC and will be a part of their pre-pharmacy program. I will be running cross country as well as indoor and outdoor track for UMKC. Roo up!!
Who would you like to thank?
Firstly I would like to thank God for giving me the ability to run and for the strength to do so. I would also like to thank my parents and my sister for all of their love and support and for always being there for me. Next I would like to thank Coach Swift, Coach Shields, Coach Johnson, and Coach Dudek for their guidance and for always believing in my teammates and I. I would also like to thank all of my teammates that I have had throughout the years. Out of these teammates I have had a lot of amazing leaders that have influenced me, as well as some great morning run partners and comedians. I have also had a lot of great teachers that helped me become who I am and I would like to thank them for their knowledge and for remembering that there is a difference between track and cross country.
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> <em style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: invert none 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; font-family: Verdana;">Want to be featured in our Salute To Seniors series? Email PEverett@milesplit.com and answer the questions above! Congratulations to the seniors on all their hard work and success.</em><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; font-family: Verdana;"> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; font-family: Verdana;"> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial;"> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;"> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;"> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;"> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;"> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;"> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;"> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;"> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;"> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;"> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent;"> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <p> </p>