Ryan Tatton '17 Recruiting Profile

So far, I have visited Ohio State University (Columbus), University of Akron, University of Cincinnati, and Case Western Reserve University. When it comes time to decide between a college that offers a better athletic program and another college that has a superior academic program, the latter of the two colleges will be the obvious choice. Although I cherish the sport of running, my academic success comes first. 

I am known for and very proud of my determination, dedication, and relentlessness in the sports of cross country and track. Over the past three years of my high school career, I have trained and competed to the utmost of my ability. I maintain an extensive journal that contains detailed notes and statistics about workouts, competition, and other training. During my freshman and sophomore years, my over-the-top summer cross-country training prevented me from achieving my best effort at the end of the season. However, this exemplifies my dedication and determination to become the best runner I can possibly be. Unfortunately during my junior year of cross-country, I sprained my ankle soon after our first meet. Before my injury, I was our 4th man, running a time of 17:48, a personal cross-country PR. The season had much promise, considering I did not over-train during the summer, unlike my past two seasons. My freshmen and sophomore track seasons have been very successful; since freshman year, I have brought my 1600m time down from 5:10 to 4:44, and my 800m time from 2:20 to 2:06. To a lesser extent, my junior year of track was also successful in that I ran 4 seconds faster in the 1600m, 3 seconds faster in the 800m, and 5 seconds faster in the 400m. I plan to continue this level achievement throughout my junior and senior years, as well as during my collegiate career. Whether I am training during the off-season, in-season, or recovering from minor injury, I do all of the little things that count toward the progression of becoming a stronger, faster athlete. 

Similar to my athletic approach, I am equally rigorous in my academic standards. As a senior at Walsh Jesuit High School, I will be taking four AP classes. Additionally, I have taken three honors classes and three other AP classes. The sense of challenging and intriguing course work enthralls me and forces me to build crucial time management between school and sport. Likewise, it is difficult to distinguish between which I love more (school or sport) because they have both been formational in my development as a young adult. Other extracurricular activities I am a part of include The Sketch, a literary and art school magazine, and the National Honors Society. 

The major difference between other college candidates and myself is that I have an extremely high level of self-discipline, determination, and self-drive. When I put my mind to a task, I am relentless until it is completed. I may not be the fastest, but you can certainly count on me to put in the work in order to get the job done to its utmost completion.