Andrew Burkhardt '16 Recruiting Profile

I started running competitively my freshman year in high school. I had originally joined cross country only to get in shape for basketball which was my main sport coming into Jserra, but I quickly found out that, not only was I better at running, but I enjoyed it more. I have improved exponentially since my freshman year, as my first 3 mile race was a 19:00 and in my junior year I ran a 14:40. My grades have been very competitive and continue to improve as I move along in high-school. The moment that I knew that I loved running was my second race in my freshman year at the Laguna Hills invitational. I had been leading the whole race until the last 20 meters when I didn't hear the person behind me start kicking and he eventually passed me. The second the race was over I was extremely upset that I had lost. People were congratulating me on getting second place but I hated the feeling knowing that there was someone better than me. I could not wait until my next race to get another chance to go out and win. My coach likes to say that I have a “fear of losing.” Knowing that there is someone better than me, makes me want to work even harder to get better.  Sometimes in practice, I get uncomfortable when I hear the footsteps of my teammates during a track workout as I feel if I should be farther ahead of them. That is not a testament to their skill level, but rather my drive to win. I love to compete, some people don't like the feeling you get before the race and then when the gun goes off, but I live for that moment. The second that the guns goes off, my adrenaline starts pumping and I take off.  This is one of my favorite parts of running, second only to winning the race.

My goal as a student athlete is to compete at a University that offers a strong academic curriculum and an elite running program.  Eventually, I would like to be one of the top collegiate runners in the country. I know that this is a challenge, but I am willing to put in the work to be the best.  

Leadership is an important quality to bring to a team sport.  I was a team captain of my cross-country team both my sophomore and junior years and am currently team captain of my track and field team.  I love to win and I take great pride in seeing my teammates win as well.  I believe everyone has the potential to be great which is a philosophy I share with my teammates.  I try to lead by example by working hard and continually trying to improve.