AJ Hanle '24 Recruiting Profile

Going to college for athletics was never a goal I had in mind. I was set on going to a relatively prestigious college in pursuit of becoming an engineer or possibly going into medicine. Entering high school, that all changed; I joined cross country. Joining cross country was the best decision I had ever made as it has led me to fall in love the sport of running, with track and field following in the Spring. Ever since the end of freshman year, I've wanted to be runner giong into college and possibly after. However, running wasn't simply a part of my life that I wanted to pursue because I enjoyed it. A lot of the times I made it the center of my life as a way to escape my emotions and other aspects of life I didn't want to face. The reason I feel that this is important is because I didn't just grow physically or mentally attached to the sport for either the feeling of crossing the finish line first or tearing apart your body during practice, but grew emotionally mature because of it. I see the value in competing in the sport and loving it and being a part of a family (the team), and I want push those around me and be pushed by those same people. Competing collegiately will give me the opportunity to become a better athlete persoanlly (specifically in the 800) and create a better team. Improving work ethic is important for the team both athletically, as well as academcially, which my academic results show clearly with being top 5% of my class.

I may not have the most impressive times out there, but I assure you that I will only make the team better.