JB Sandlund '17 Recruiting Profile

Defining moments. They make us who we are and I have experienced several of these  moments that brought clarity to who I am at the core and what I desire for my future. For me, these moments involve the sport of running. Running has a way of revealing truths about people and I have discovered who I am and what the world is like through my dedication to the grueling and awe inspiring sport of running. Running is a teacher that showed me I have perseverance, grit, and a work ethic.

My first defining moment presented itself during my freshman year of high school. In a flash, I knew that running was going to require everything I had, and success would not be realized unless I left it all on the track. Every practice, every run, every competition mattered. I learned that full dedication was a non-negotiable and I decided to be fully committed to the process. This moment defined my resolution to be relentlessly devoted, and never give up.

By my sophomore year, living, breathing and dreaming about the sport of running led me to my first state competition. In the midst of other elite runners, my second defining moment occurred -  I felt at home. I achieved a personal best in the preliminary rounds of the 4x800 with a time of 1:56.7. Participation in the state meet placed my resolve to push myself harder than ever before in concrete.  I became aware of an unstoppable, growing hunger to find myself at the state meet my junior year. The experience fueled and consumed me and informed every decision I made from that point forward including fulfilling my training requirements even while teaching English to high school students in the heat and 100% humidity of the Amazon in Brazil.

During my junior year, I discovered that I was also fired up to inspire my team mates to great things as I was to exceeding all goals our coach had set for us. I positioned myself as a leader to cast a  specific vision for our performance at state meet in the spring. When we qualified, we set the bar higher making it to State Finals.  I witnessed my guys give everything they had to realize our shared goal. My first lap was a blur, coming through the 400 m in 55.1 seconds. The lactic acid building in my legs compelled me push harder. During the final 200 m of the race, I knew that I wanted this more than anyone else on the track. We met our goal of going all state, broke the school record, and finished with the exact time I had set as our impossible goal at 7:51.3 for the relay. For the first time, the coach awarded the MVP to a junior.

My final defining moment came when I realized that inspiring others is a vital part of my identity and that this was just the beginning of my journey. Running has not only pushed me physically, but in all aspects of my life to be the best version of myself. I began challenging myself to strive for finding new ways to get out of my comfort zone such as leading Fellowship of Christain Athletes and giving others my story and struggles that have shaped me to who I am today. Giving other hope and confidence to know they are the best when they constantly push themselves gives me joy, and I hope to continue to always give and share.

My uphill battles through running have molded me over the years into someone who knows how to persevere. Through the maze of high school and the constant strain from running, these qualities will always shape the way I live life. No matter what, I know I can do all things, and running not only showed me how to push through physically, but when I set my mind to anything, it is an endless world of possibilities.