I was born with bilateral congenital cataracts; the left one developed first, so for the dexterity-formative years of my life I had no depth perception. Even since elementary school, running was the only sport at which I was not complete garbage, and it was always a matter of working my way up.
Who would you consider your biggest competition over your four years?
In terms of teams, Cony and Lincoln were always our biggest rivals. Individually, I want to say Liam Card, but he regularly dusted me, so probably Sam Goldey.
What was your greatest accomplishment?
My own personal growth, comparing where I started to where I am now. After 8th grade, my best mile was 6:00.4, and my 9th grade XC 5K PR was 20:14. But now I run 4:48 and 17:40, and a 10:32 3200. I'm also glad I had the opportunity to compete at multiple state championships, most recently in the 4x800, 1600, and 3200, but to me, cutting multiple minutes off of my PRs is the greater accomplishment.
How has track and field impacted your life?
T&F and XC have introduced me to a community in which performance is not merely measured in wins and losses but in personal improvement. Because of this almost cooperative aspect, there's a lot more connection across teams than in other sports, and teammates are more focused on how to help each other improve rather than simply win. So I'd say that the biggest impact these sports have had on me are the lessons they've taught me about supporting others and improving myself through hard work.
What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
While I was lucky to have no significant injuries, something that threw a wrench into my plans was when I got COVID-19 during the summer of 2022, in the middle of my summer mileage aerobic base-building before the XC preseason. This prevented me from logging significant miles for about two weeks, and I continued to have some lung issues for a while afterwards.
How do you prepare for competitions?
I would follow Coach Luchies's meet-preparation plan, which consisted of a moderate 48-hour workout 2 days before the meet, then a very very light day with heavy Strength And Mobility (SAM) drills. Our warmups would be extended to simulate a meet-day warmup. The night prior to the night before the meet was always known informally among the team as "Sleep Night": we would aim to get extra sleep that night so that even if we slept poorly the night before the meet, we would have a buffer of rest. Meet-day preparation mostly consisted of keeping calm and following the warmup plan.
What influence has your coach had on your high school career?
I mentioned earlier that the biggest impact that XC and T&F had on me are the lessons I took away. I give virtually all credit for this, and for my improvement, to Coach Luchies. I took his guidance and strategies to heart, such as the 500-300-100 kick and the huge emphasis on summer mileage. My advice below is really just a distillation, with the benefit of hindsight, of Luchies's advice on staying fit to compete.
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of track and field?
I've been a space nerd all my life, and I'm very interested in space exploration (both robotic probes and crewed missions).
What are your college plans?
I will be attending Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for Aeronautical Engineering. I told you I was a space nerd.
What are your long-term goals?
Due to the aforementioned space nerdiness, my long-term goals involve working in the space engineering industry in some capacity. I'm not yet sure whether that means a NASA position, one of the big-name established aerospace companies, or a startup; there are many possibilities, so I'll probably end up wherever I can get a good and meaningful job.
Who would you like to say thank you to?
As indicated above, I want to give an enormous thank-you to Coach Luchies. I also want to thank Coach Deering of Brunswick, who also coached Morse indoor track in the pre-COVID days when the teams practiced together, and Coach Riggs, who stepped up to coach indoor when Luchies took a well-deserved season off. I want to thank my parents, who were constantly congratulatory and facilitated many awkward meet schedules. And of course, I couldn't have done it without the support of my teammates, especially the Mid-Distance group chat: thanks, y'all.
What advice would you give to younger athletes?
Take care of your body. Conditioning yourself for T&F and XC doesn't just mean workouts and mileage; sleep and nutrition are just as important as practice. Get good sleep, and properly fuel yourself. Since student-athlete means student first, it may be difficult to budget the time, but that stress is a challenge which you must overcome just like any other.
