The Holy Cross senior cross country standout finished second in the PIAA Foundation Class 1A race Saturday at Hershey’s Parkview Course, three seconds behind the race winner.
Age: 17
Other sports you play: Indoor and outdoor track
Do you follow any sports teams? Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Mets.
Been a rough year for you as a fan. Today was bad. The Lions, my gosh. Couldn’t catch a pass.
Athletes you admire: Kobe Bryant and Michael Phelps
Superstitions or rituals on days when you have a race? I’d say my biggest superstition is I always l;ike to wear the same pair of socks. I have a lucky pair of socks I wear for all my big races.
How long have those socks been lucky. I think I was in eighth grade. There’s a little hole in the bottom of them so I’m getting worried, but I think I’ll get through the season.
Most famous athlete you’ve ever met? Noah Syndergaard. I was at a Mets game and they were signing autographs in the outfield. That was cool.
Other than running, what skill would you like to master? I’ve always wanted to learn how to juggle. I find it fascinating.
What is something you think everyone should do at least once in their life? Travel. I can’t say I’ve been a lot of places but it’s something I’d like to do. Go somewhere interesting.
Three people you’d like to have dinner with? Kobe Bryant, Michael Phelps and Elon Musk.
Who’s your funniest teammate? Owen Jumper. Only a freshman but the kid’s got a sense of humor.
What has you training regiment been like leading up to this point? The biggest thing this year is trying to focus on being more consistent. Last year during the tracks eason, I was injured a little bit so I was missing time. I wasn’t doing the workouts. So the biggest thing this season is staying healthy and trying to stay consistent has led me to where I am.
When you go out to run a league meet, and you are clearly the favorite to finish first, what are you trying to accomplish? I think it depends on the race and who you are going against. Most of the time in a league meet, I’m just focused on obviously trying to win, but I don’t want to get wrapped up in anything, I don’t want to fall or hurt myself. I just want to try to get the win without too much drama.
The team is 10-0. So, Tuesday’s race with Delaware Valley and Wallenpaupack is very important. Obviously they are two of the best teams in the league. So far, we’ve been fortunate enough to win every race. It’s going to be exciting. I’m confident in our team. We have a really great group and they’ve work so hard. I feel good.
What’s the biggest thrill you’ve had in sports? I think the most exciting moment of my sports career was winning the 3,200-meter title my freshman year because it was the first time I won a district title and I’d been looking forward to it the whole season. I’d been focusing on that race specifically, and to be able to win it was such a big accomplishment for me.
Who is the one person who has had the biggest influence on your sports career? My dad, just because he’s coached me from when I was playing basketball and baseball when I was little all the way up to now. He and my mom are very involved and trying to help up the team and they’ve always been there for me.
Have you started thinking about what lies ahead for you after high school? Obviously the dream is to run in college. Where that’s going to be, at this point I’m not sure. I’ve talked to coaches and gotten a lot of interest, but I haven’t narrowed down what the place is for me yet.