Finn Riley '21 Recruiting Profile

     Until Freshman year of High School I had little interest in running cross country and track. The main purpose I had was to stay in good shape for baseball season, and since my brother had ran in his high school years I figured I would follow suit. My freshman year completely changed my perspective on running and how I may have stumbled upon an unknown talent. The Seniors played a major role in getting me invested in Cross Country and led by example by establishing an impressive work ethic, which pushed me to want to be the best I can for the team.  The hard work put in by the team that year warranted the first time in school history the cross country team qualified for states. The experience of team unity and working to reach a goal that had not been obtained in our school’s history has probably been the best experience I’ve had in my high school career. My coach played an instrumental role in our team’s successes and knew exactly when to be strict and when to be laid back. I would say that my coach has been one of the most influential people in my life and the easiest person to talk to, whether it’s about running or outside of school issues. Since Freshman year, I have put my heart and soul into Cross Country and Track with the same goal to make States as a team each year. I have been fortunate enough to make States myself this season (Junior). But it does not compare to the team going to states, and  as a Senior captain next year I hope to lead the team as the Seniors had my Freshman year to States. 

     I would describe myself as more of an Aerobic runner, as my track times are quite underwhelming compared to my Cross Country times. The 8k and 10k races in college excite me because I believe that I would excel at the longer events.  My passion for running both Cross Country and Track has pushed me to lengths  I never could have dreamed of reaching. I would be thrilled to compete in College, whether I would be the number 1 runner or number 10 runner on the team I will do anything in my power to help the team succeed. I take a similar approach with Cross Country and Track towards school work, as I have challenged my self with an extra AP or Honors class each year of High School. As well as branching out even more this year by joining the Green Club and Debate Club to explore more extracurriculars at my school. 

     Thank you for reading and understanding some aspects about myself. I hope I am a good fit for your program. Here is a link to a more detailed summary of my cross country and track times:   https://www.athletic.net/CrossCountry/Athlete.aspx?AID=12480635