Our next senior is Jacob Kissling, who placed 60th in the state cross country meet!
“My favorite thing about cross country has always been the inclusivity of it. Not only can anyone run on the team, but I truly believe that, if they work hard enough, anyone can take a varsity slot. Running will definitely become a hobby for me as I get older. I am also currently considering whether or not I will run in college as well. I got started with cross country in middle school. My mom thought it would be a good idea for me to try it. I begrudgingly did, but was able to make great friends and decided to stick with it. I came back every year, working harder and improving my time.
Cross Country has taught me the importance of self-control. Freshman year, I worked really hard and improved a lot. Because of this, I made the sectional roster and was running with the fastest members of my team. Unfortunately, I didn’t listen to my body and ended up breaking my foot at Sectionals. This taught me that you have to be wise when you practice and gradually increase the intensity. I have grown in character and physical health from cross country. My senior year I was our team captain and helped keep the team focused. When I first started, I don’t think I could have been assertive enough to effectively lead the team. Through the years though, I slowly gained confidence and felt I was ready to lead. I have also grown a lot physically from Cross Country. At my first race I ran a 3K at roughly 18:30 (which is a 9:55 mile pace), now I was able to finish my high school career with a personal best of 16:26 (a 5:18 pace). The main motivation for my success has always been the great mentors I’ve had combined with my sense of diligence. Cross Country definitely follows the mantra of “if it was easy everyone would do it.” While other sports may involve a variety of skills and rely heavily on natural talent, cross country is a sport where the gap in talent feels like it can be closed faster. Yet still very few people try the sport (our team this year had only a little over 20), it becomes more of a test of willpower then other sports, especially during races.” - Jacob Kissling
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