Nathan Lopez '23 Recruiting Profile

I am currently a junior at St. John’s Prep in Danvers, MA and am a three season runner. I am very active on my high school team and a club team. I have competed at the state, regional, and national level. I’m looking to find a competitive college that is the right fit to allow me to pursue both my athletic and academic ambitions.

I began running in 7th grade and immediately knew I had found my sport. I have learned so much about track and cross country over the last few years. My experience has helped me understand how setting goals and working toward those goals allows me to progress and succeed. Being part of a team has also made me a better runner and competitor as we work together toward team goals. Winning the Massachusetts state title in XC in 2019 was an amazing experience and a good example of how hard work and working as a team pays off. 

Academically I am still exploring my interests and I'm not sure what area of focus I will select, but as a student, I work hard to achieve the best results that I can. I am looking for a program that will help me sharpen my skills and open up opportunities for me after college.

Some things to know about me as a runner:

My favorite event: If I had to choose, it would be the 5k for cross country, but I love them all. 

My favorite workout: One of my favorite workouts for track is 3-5 sets of 600 @2mile pace with a 200 jog straight into a 400 @mile pace.

My favorite track venue: Aggie Stadium in Greensboro, NC.

My favorite cross country course: Van Cortlandt Park cross country course in NYC.

My favorite season: Cross Country.

What motivates me: I love to compete and I’m motivated to work hard because I know that it will pay off later. My teammates keep me excited to come to practice as well. 

The goal I’m currently working on: I am currently trying to qualify for one of the national cross country meets like Footlocker and Nike Cross. In track, I’m shooting for a 4:08 mile and around a 8:50 two-mile by the end of Junior year.

The biggest challenge I have faced: One of my biggest challenges was transitioning to high school and competing with older, more experienced athletes. I overcame this by just focusing on what I know how to do and not getting overwhelmed by the better competition.   

Favorite track/XC moment:  My favorite moment in my running career up to this point is winning the Massachusetts All-State Meet in the 2 mile distance. In my opinion, this is the best track race that I have ever run and with this performance I was able to help my team get second overall in the meet.