by Pat McGuire ’14
Senior Cross country runner sat down with Eye Sports Editor Pat McGuire to discuss his athletics career.
Q: John, you played rugby for two years in the Warrior rugby system. Why did you decide to leave the sport?
A: I left because I just wanted to experience something other than the physical nature of rugby and distance running seemed like a great option to stay in shape. I also thought running long distance would be pretty easy but it really isn’t when you get into it.
Q: How were you and the team able to deal with the ups and downs of the 2013 season?
A: Our team as a whole put in effort every single day of the season and never took days off or took it easy when we were sore or tired. We also made sure to get extra workouts in after practice and eating well.
Q: Do you find any similarities between running cross country and playing rugby?
A: Definitely, both sports involve pacing and conditioning as well as the knowledge of when to exert amounts of energy and when to hold back and save some for later. Also, because both sports are continuous, they involve players/runners to make adjustments on their own when something unexpected happens.
Q: What was it like to be a part of such a successful season as a Wildcat harrier?
A: It was great. I was sort of worried as the year started off slow but we kept our composure, became more competitive each week, and the entire team put in a lot of hard work in August and September to run well at the end of the year.
Q: Do you plan on pursuing either of these two sports in college?
A: I am considering possibly running either cross country or track at the next level.
