Personal Statement
UPDATE: Dec 1, 2011.
My name is Logan Kruse, I am 5 feet 11 inches tall, weigh 140 lbs and I am in my senior year at Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Florida. I have been running varsity cross country and track since I was a freshman.
Our cross country team finished 3rd in state my freshman year, 2nd in state my sophomore year and 2nd in state this past fall with a tied score. I broke our school cross country record that had been held for 15 years, with a 15:17.97 5K run in 2010. That run was what earned me the school cross country mens achievement award last fall. I enjoy running with our team, pushing hard, and putting in the extra individual effort.
Our track team had a great season; we ended 5th in state. I set new personal records this spring in the 800, 1600, and the 3200. Personally, I placed 8th in state in the 1600, and 4th in state with my 4 x 800 team. I aim to improve my performance each year.
I attended 3 weeks of distance running at Team Prep USA camp in Colorado this summer, followed by a month long stay in the mountains of Panama (mountain running and Spanish immersion with a host family). This, I believe, worked well for me academically and should have provided a strong base for my fall cross country season.
I had a challenging senior cross country season. I had a hip flexor injury that prevented me from training / cross training / racing until the last few weeks of the season. My coach applied / recieved a medical exemption for me to race in the last season races. Thus, with a couple of weeks of training in, I ran my first two races; metros on 10/26/11 with a 17:03 for sixth place and districts on 11/5/11with a 16:14 for third place. I ran regionals, won a spot at states, and ran with the top pack for as long as possible to see where it would take me. That did not work well. It was a hard way to end my season, for I have never had to race without training. I am aggressively training and building a strong base for this new season. I will smash my track times this spring.
I am a life boy scout and am working on finishing my eagle rank. It will be completed later this year. Scouting; especially when one is working toward their eagle rank, like varsity cross country running, requires persistence, determination and the ability to set / adjust / attain progressively higher individual goals. Academically, junior year finished six more advanced placement (AP) classes and honors pre-calculus. I have earned As and Bs. My current overall GPA is 3.5 and 4.54 weighted. This year I again have five AP classes, honors physics, German 2, and graphics.
I believe these personally challenging experiences will provide me with the skills necessary to succeed in my final college/university and running commitments. I am not adverse to moving away to attend college. I have traveled extensively with my family and have lived in both, New England and Florida. I enjoy both warmer and colder climates/locations. I am open to going just about anywhere that I can attain a quality education and run with a great team.
Overall, I aim to get the best education possible, push myself physically and mentally, and compete nationally. I am considering studying business/ economics or possibly engineering. As of yet, I am not finally decided. I look forward to discussing my college / university / running options. Thanks. Logan