Q: How long have you been in cross country?

A: I have been in cross country for three years in middle school starting in sixth grade, but this is my first year [doing cross country] in high school.

Q: How hard is cross country?

A: You need a lot of grit and nerves, so, I’d say it is one of the hardest sports I have ever tried.                       You not only need physical strength, but you need willpower to push through workouts and races.

Q: What is your fastest time?

A: My fastest time for a 5k [race] was 17:52, which I got on my second meet.

Q: How much do you practice?

A: We practice everyday, and we still have to run by ourselves every Sunday. We have races every Saturday.

Q: How hard is it to manage academic life and cross country at the same time?

A: Practice is two hours after school usually, so I have to have really good time management to get in all my homework and still do cross country.

Q: Do you believe you will make the varsity team soon?

A: I think I’m really close right now because I am the eighth runner, and the eighth runner is one spot away from varsity.

Q: Are you intimidated by being a freshman trying to reach varsity?

A: [I am] not really [intimidated]. We have a lot of very good runners, and I’m just trying to do the best I can do at meets and practices.

Q: How much more do you think you will have to practice to make varsity?

A: I think if I stick to what I’m doing right now, I’ll eventually make varsity.

Q: What requirements will you have to meet to make varsity?

A: Ultimately, the coach chooses the runners to compete in varsity, but I need to be in the top seven in terms of the race.

Q: How does your time for the 5k compare to other varsity runners?

A: Our times can vary at each meet, so sometimes my times is in the top seven, but sometimes it’s not. I’m not that far off from being in the top seven.