Roan Holmes '25 Recruiting Profile

While I always enjoyed running, during the pandemic it became an imperative, an outlet to counter the sudden isolation.  Freshman year in high school, I joined the XC team and quickly became one of the faster runners on my team.  I valued the support and mentorship from the upperclassmen.  The fastest runner on the team was a senior who I ran with almost daily, and we always had a friendly competition between us. Running with him taught me to push myself to my limits, and he inspired me to be more competitive in my athletic endeavors.  After he graduated, I knew I wanted to follow his lead and be a mentor for others.

As a result, I accelerated my training during the summer of my sophomore year, pushing myself to run faster and longer. During that XC season, my times continued to improve. However, during the regional meet, my shoe came off during the race. While it was rather humiliating and I missed a chance at going to state, I got over it and moved on.  The experience taught me to be a more resilient runner, and I carried this into my track season, during which I achieved the fastest 2 mile time that my school recorded in the past 8 years. 

Running will always be a passion that I plan to continue and improve upon for the rest of my life. I am looking for a college that is committed to academic excellence and a culture of mutual support and mentorship, while offering an opportunity to grow and excel at this sport.