Class of 2003 Profiles
hometown: Guilford, Connecticut favorite academic subject: history future plans: Williams College. While there I hopefully will figure out what I'll do after that. Choate Cross Country career: 2001, 2002 teams PR on the home course: 18:35 best race ever: Founders League race at Westminster favorite workout or training run: "zombies take over the world" and Veterans Park runs what Choate Cross Country has meant to me: I wrote my college essay about cross country because it has become one of the most important things in high school for me. Our cross country team, that band of brothers, has allowed me to become something that I never thought I could be, and do things I never thought possible. advice to younger teammates: If you really want to improve, you should train over the summer, obviously. Once the season starts, run hard every day. Especially on Tuesdays, give the run everything you can. Don't wait until the week before New Englands to give your all during practice, because by then it's too late.
favorite quotation: So many to choose from . . . for cross country I
suppose:
hometown: Madison, Connecticut favorite academic subject: weaving future plans: University of Richmond; beat up Greg's roommate Choate Cross Country career: 2002 team PR on the home course: 23:29 best race ever: Deerfield: happens to be my best and worst favorite workout or training run: meditation what Choate Cross Country has meant to me: Varsity cross country defines who I am. With speed and grace, I led the team in the most playing time. advice to younger teammates: actually try favorite quotation: "SERENITY NOW!!" -Frank Costanza
hometown: New York City favorite academic subjects: economics, mathematics future plans: To beat up my roommate. Choate Cross Country career: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 teams PR on the home course: 19:20 best race ever: Last home race senior year, breaking 20 minutes and Nick Cobbett's PR favorite workout or training run: the day Bobby bought us ice cream what Choate Cross Country has meant to me: Cross country has been an important part of Choate to me. Although sometimes it seemed like I lacked interest and didn't want to be there, I always came back to it year after year. I went to practice almost every day and worked hard a lot, especially my freshman and senior year. Cross country is a painful but worthwhile sport. advice to younger teammates: Trust Ned and Mattoon, they actually know what they're doing. Also, start trying hard early, otherwise you end up in a spiral of failure. I know.
favorite quotations: "Midgets are people too" -Brendan
Bansavage '02
hometown: New Haven, Connecticut favorite academic subjects: mathematics, science, English future plans: I think I'll probably go to college. After that, who knows . . . maybe save the world someday. Choate Cross Country career: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 teams PR on the home course: 18:36 best race ever: Parents Weekend 2002: in the rain, against NMH favorite workout or training run: Whirlwind Hill: I love the hills and always enjoy the leaves! what Choate Cross Country has meant to me: As a member of the Choate cross country team, I have had the chance to push myself to do more than I thought I ever could do. The mental and intestinal fortitude I have gained from running endless miles of hills and agonizing course segments in the rain will be with me forever. Besides enduring the pain and all those miles, in my four years on the team I have always had fun and have gotten to know some pretty crazy people in the process. advice to younger teammates: Listen to Ned. Work hard and endure the pain--it's most definitely worth it. Always enjoy what you are doing and never give anything less than all you've got. favorite quotation: "I sometimes think that running has given me a glimpse of the greatest freedom a man can ever know, because it results in the simultaneous liberation of both body and mind. The mental approach is all important, because the strength and power of the mind are without limit. All this energy can be harnessed by the correct attitude of mind." - Roger Bannister
hometown: Waterbury, Connecticut favorite academic subject: history future plans: Attend college. Choate Cross Country career: 2002 team PR on the home course: 21:01 best race ever: The NMH race. favorite workout or training run: Whirlwind Hill: the foliage is great and it's a nice change of scenery. You will not see many cows in Waterbury. what Choate Cross Country has meant to me: Cross country has been a great experience in that it teaches discipline and instills the value of hard work. The ability to endure pain and push yourself to the limit creates a sort of mental toughness that is unique to runners. It is these intangibles that make cross country so rewarding, and it is always nice to be able to think that no other team on campus is working as hard as cross country. advice to younger teammates: I now know that the single most important thing you can do to enhance your performance during the season is to build a solid base over the summer. Without a good base you will most likely get injured once the season starts and the intensity picks up. An injury will affect both your performance in races and your daily training throughout the season. favorite quotation: "We're gonna shock the world, baby!" Khalid El-Amin
hometown: Haddam, Connecticut favorite academic subjects: U.S. history, biology, English future plans: University of Chicago Choate Cross Country career: 2000, 2001, 2002 teams PR on the home course: 17:32 best race ever: 2002 JV race vs. Andover. Although this wasn't my PR race, I felt like this was the race where I showed the most guts. Two Andover runners went out surprisingly fast and strung out our front pack. I went out harder than I wanted to in order to keep contact with the two Andover guys. After we started the first loop, both Andover runners faded way back in the pack, and I ended up running in second place behind another Andover runner for most of the race. I ran a strong finish and came in first for the team and third overall, earning a promotion to varsity the next week. favorite workout or training run: long Monday runs or Veterans Park. I'll always remember "swimming" in the creek at Veterans with teammates J Steele, Brad Sammis, and Mark Little last year. It would have been nice if Mark could have kept his clothes on. what Choate Cross Country has meant to me: Choate Cross Country has meant more to me than I ever thought it could. I started running my sophomore year to get in shape and lose weight, and within a week I was hooked. The never-ending struggle to get physically faster and mentally stronger is incredibly addictive. Cross country has given me so much pride and confidence. I've pushed myself harder, faster, and farther than I ever could have imagined. However, the best part of the sport is the team atmosphere. People often think of running as an individual sport, but there's nothing I'll remember more fondly than the stretching circle after practice or racing Ned to Dairy Queen at preseason. I'll miss the guys on the team more than anything else. The only thing that makes workouts like "the Big Mac" bearable is knowing that forty other guys are out there going through the exact same thing. advice to younger teammates: Work hard and enjoy minute of it. Don't take any practice for granted, because you'll miss it when it's gone. You can run faster than you've ever imagined, but it all depends on how hard you're willing to work. Summer training is essential; don't ruin your season before it starts. Ned and Mr. Mattoon know what they're talking about, so listen to them and trust the training.
favorite quotation: "You can't just want it, you have to be
willing to work for it." - Ned
hometown: Montreal, Quebec, CANADA favorite academic subjects: mathematics and science future plans: play Division I ice hockey Choate Cross Country career: 2001, 2002 teams PR on the home course: 19:21 best race ever: Parents weekend of 2001 favorite workout or training run: Thursday short intervals what Choate Cross Country has meant to me: good conditioning advice to younger teammates: Push yourself on Tuesdays
hometown: Sharon, Connecticut favorite academic subject: economics future plans: To train for the remainder of the year in hopes of breaking the 17:30 mark on the Choate cross country course by the conclusion of the school year. I plan on attending a four-year college to pursue my love of learning with the intent of majoring in economics. While in college, I hope to walk onto the cross country team my freshman year. Choate Cross Country career: 2002 team PR on the home course: 18:22 best race ever: Without doubt, my best race ever was at this year's New England Championships on the beautiful course at St. Paul's. After running my first mile in PR fashion, I pushed hard to the 2-mile mark when I suddenly became immersed in a feeling of utter tranquility: I saw nothing but the path before me, and could hear nothing but myself breathing. My legs felt weightless and running became effortless. I ran hard until the finish line and set a PR for the 5K. favorite workout or training run: Whirlwind Hill what Choate Cross Country has meant to me: Running cross country this fall has been one of the best experiences of my life. The sheer sense of gratification I have gotten after each race has been remarkable. Throughout the course of the season, running has drawn a countless number of parallels to my life and has without doubt made me a better person as a result. Cross country has taught me the true meaning of hard work and perseverance. Through their impeccable training regimens and thoughtful guidance, Coaches Gallagher and Mattoon have ignited a new passion within me, which I will continue to engage in for the remainder of my life. advice to younger teammates: Whatever you choose to put into your cross country season is what you will get out of it. Hard work and perseverance will inevitably pay dividends at the end of the season when you shatter your PR. Work hard on Tuesday and Thursday and don't take any shortcuts, for you're simply cheating yourself out of performing to your full potential. And last, but certainly not least, never take your position on the cross country team for granted. Regardless of what your PR is, your contribution to the team is just as imperative as the #1 runner's. Despite what many people believe, cross country is truly a team sport: working with your teammates in practice and in races makes for a greater sense of team unity, which will inevitably lead to success. favorite quotation: "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." -Steve Prefontaine
hometown: Newport Beach, California favorite academic subject: economics future plans: I'M GOIN' TO COLLEGE!!! Choate Cross Country career: 2002 team PR on the home course: 27:03 best race ever: so many to choose from, I just don't know which one to pick. I think I'll have to go with that one race I ran in. favorite workout or training run: meditation--I always work up a good sweat in my sleep what Choate Cross Country has meant to me: a twice-a-week workout with a top-notch group of kids advice to younger teammates: don't be like me favorite quotation: "Let's rock." -Al Bundy
hometown: New Haven, Connecticut favorite academic subject: history future plans: Stanford University Choate Cross Country career: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 teams career highlights: All-Founders League Team 2001, 2002; finished career #20 on all-time list of fastest CRH runners on the 2.95-mile home course PR on the home course: 16:18 best race ever: It's a close call between 2001 New Englands and 2002 Founders League. Winning last year's New Englands was undoubtedly the highlight of my four years on the cross country team, and I ran well, but I was our sixth man so I had no effect on the team outcome. At the Founders Championship this year I had one of my best individual performances ever, and if I hadn't run well we wouldn't have won. favorite workout or training run: Whirlwind Hill. When I got to the top of Whirlwind for the last time this year I stopped to look around at the hill I had climbed so many times in four years and I was actually sad that I wouldn't get to do it again. what Choate Cross Country has meant to me: Quite simply, everything. Cross country has been the single most satisfying, rewarding, and important experience not only in my four years at Choate, but in my entire life. For three and a half years I told myself and everyone else that I hated running and that I only ran because I wasn't athletic enough to do anything else. Near the end of this year, though, I realized how much I loved the team and the sport. Cross country has provided me with some of the greatest challenges of my life, and it has taught me that nothing is so satisfying as something one has to work hard for. As difficult and grueling as some days have been, I already miss it. advice to younger teammates: 1. If anyone ever thinks they know more about how to train than Ned, look at this year's results and tell me we weren't the best-prepared team in the league. Never doubt the coaches. 2. Find the race strategy that is right for you. Even after all my years on the team I struggled for the first half of this year because I was starting too fast. Regardless of what some people say there is strategy in cross country, and you need to find what works for you. 3. Have no regrets. Nothing was more disappointing to me than losing my senior year New Englands by five points, but I know that I ran the best race I possibly could. I ran so hard that afterwards I couldn't remember the race. Even if the results aren't what you want, if you have given your best effort you should have no regrets. 4. Win back the New England Championship next year.
favorite quotations: "You don't remember the pain, you remember the
championships." -Trevor Childs
hometown: Wallingford, Connecticut favorite academic subjects: Spanish, U.S. history, economics future plans: I hope to get a digital camera and make some movies like Ned does. I definitely have to get down to the Mardi Gras someday. It would also be cool to work on a cruise ship for a little while and see the world. Choate Cross Country career: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 teams PR on the home course: 18:09 best race ever: Founders 2001 at Avon, when I finished eighth. I started faster than I thought I possibly could, and then refused to slow down. favorite workout or training run: Friday meditation. what Choate Cross Country has meant to me: It has meant a lot to me to be part of one of the few things in life that is genuinely fair. In this sport there are no bad refs, size doesn't matter, and neither does experience. If you do poorly in a race, you have no one to blame but yourself. In the world of cross country, you have control over your own destiny, and that is something I have really valued. advice to younger teammates: If you don't want to be hobbling around with injuries every fall, then get a solid base over the summer. Remember that your performance during the season will probably have more to do with how much you run over the summer than how much effort you put into the fall workouts. Races are less grueling if you pack run and fight for place. Use your arms to drive yourself up the tough hills, and as Mattoon says, "spunky turnover"--it sounds goofy but it works.
favorite quotations: "I am clearly a legend." -J Steele
hometown: Madison, Wisconsin/East Hampton, New York favorite academic subjects: French, European history, English future plans: Bowdoin College; take a year off to travel through Europe with a tent and sleeping bag Choate Cross Country career: 2002 team PR on the home course: 20:28 best race ever: Founders League Championship at Westminster favorite workout or training run: definitely Whirlwind Hill--I actually started looking forward to that smell of cow manure . . . I'm not as sentimental as some others, but for a little while at least it'll bring back memories of cross country what Choate Cross Country has meant to me: Cross country has provided me with a tremendous amount of self-discipline and it has kept me in shape. The kids are awesome and its great way to de-stress after a hard day. advice to younger teammates: Listen to Ned and Mattoon. Work hard from the start, especially on Tuesdays and Thursdays--it pays off. Train over the summer, so you can notice your improvement and not get injured. Oh, and try not to join half way through the season. favorite quotation: "You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist." -Mahatma Gandhi
hometown: Charlotte, Vermont favorite academic subject: history future plans: To boldly go where no man has gone before, but I'll probably stay in Vermont. Choate Cross Country career: 2002 team career highlights: won JV race at 2002 Founders League Championships PR on the home course: 17:49 best race ever: Founders 2002, when I became the fastest prep school JV runner in all of Connecticut, at least for a day. Oh, and I beat Lucius too. favorite workout or training run: Whirlwind Hill--closest Connecticut ever came to being Vermont. what Choate Cross Country has meant to me: Cross country has been a unique opportunity in life. At times it has provided me with a sense of self-achievement that I have never really experienced before; on the flip side, however, there are those races where I've finished, knowing I could've done better . . . and on those days, I feel complete disappointment. And on a side note, it's enabled me to meet some of the coolest kids in the world, because the sport attracts such awesome people. advice to younger teammates: Run like an antelope, out of control. favorite quotation: "People are too hung up on winning. I can get off on a really good helmet throw." -Bill "Spaceman" Lee
hometown: Oakland, California favorite academic subjects: English and history future plans: Harvard University; study hard, travel a lot, learn more languages. Choate Cross Country career: 2002 team PR on the home course: 18:18 best race ever: JV New Englands, 2002 favorite workout or training run: Grieb Street what Choate Cross Country has meant to me: Cross country gave me a great amount of discipline and focus. It was one of the greatest experiences of my Choate career. I will never forget running along with my teammates, wanting almost every other step to drop out of the race, but knowing all along that if I kept running they would keep running and that if they kept running I would as well. advice to younger teammates: A good race should be more than painful. Running a good race means that you want to die when you cross the finish line. Suffer the pain for the brief time while you are running, because when it is all over, you either bask in the glory of your accomplishments or you live with regrets. Have no regrets. Ever.
favorite quotations: "This ain't
no party, this ain't no disco, this ain't no foolin' around."
hometown: Wallingford, Connecticut favorite academic subject: biology, economics future plans: Yale University Choate Cross Country career: 2001, 2002 teams career highlights: All-Founders League Team 2002 PR on the home course: 16:52 best race ever: New Englands 2002, I never felt worse during any other race during my two years on the team--I was running on empty by the finish but I guess that was the goal, to leave everything on the course. favorite workout or training run: running Whirlwind Hill in the late fall, with the crisp air and smell of cow manure, can be awesome. It doesn't seem like Connecticut at all. what Choate Cross Country has meant to me: Cross country has been a tremendously rewarding experience for me over the past two years. There's something truly awesome about pushing yourself in practice all week, and then seeing genuine results during races. However, cross country has been about so much more than this. There was something inexplicable about it that made me look forward to practice day in and day out. Perhaps it was the camaraderie, the shared pursuit of goals, or the hard work put in purely for the team's sake. I'm not entirely sure. Still, cross country has meant more to me than almost any other thing at Choate. advice to younger teammates: as I write this, I've been done with cross country for a mere two weeks, and I already miss the team, and the workouts, and everything about cross country, and before you know it, your cross country experiences will come to an end as well. My point is that you shouldn't take cross country for granted, because it is a truly awesome experience that is short lived. In other words, get as much as possible out of each day. Do the workouts every day with as much effort as possible, but don't forget to have fun while doing it. favorite quotation: "It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness." -Seneca
hometown: Cheshire, Connecticut favorite academic subject: economics future plans: go to college Choate Cross Country career: 2002 team favorite workout or training run: meditation what Choate Cross Country has meant to me: It's been something to do on fall afternoons. advice to younger teammates: Don't be like me. favorite quotation: "I am the truth" -Nas
hometown: San Antonio, Texas favorite academic subject: United States history future plans: corporate law Choate Cross Country career: 2002 team PR on the home course: 21:42 best race ever: Hotchkiss race favorite workout or training run: Whirlwind Hill what Choate Cross Country has meant to me: Choate Cross country has been an amazing experience in the arts of fellowship, dedication, and athleticism advice to younger teammates: Enjoy this adventure and truly relish in the benefits you can and cannot see. favorite quotation: "This ain't no party, this ain't no disco, this ain't no foolin around." |
