After enjoying his first year of high school cross country, junior Frederick Shaddai is looking forward to returning for his upcoming season.

Shaddai’s favorite part of the sport is the sense of freedom that he feels for the fifteen to twenty minutes that he’s running.

“When I’m running, like as soon as I hear that gunshot, all my problems and worries go away. I’m free.”

Creating a bond with his teammates and coaches makes his time more enjoyable. The junior says that bonding with his team builds the relationships needed to be at its best. “If you don’t have a bond, then you don’t have a team,” Shaddai said.

Shaddai recommends cross country to anyone who is willing to give it a try. He says that lots of people are intimidated by cross country just because of how much running and stamina the sport demands.

“Just because you run more than football or basketball doesn’t mean that you won’t enjoy it,” Shaddai said. “Anyone can do it.”

He says that many people are intimidated by cross country just because of how much running and stamina the sport demands.

Shaddai looks forward to continuing to improve within the rest of this season and next, making the experience enjoyable all the while. “The team is cool and the coaches are cool too. Why wouldn’t I want to come back?”