Max Panica '26 Recruiting Profile

I am a student at Loudoun Valley High School in Purcellville, Virginia, which is known for its strong tradition in cross-country and track teams. This year marks my third year of competitive running for the school, as I will participate in cross-country, indoor track, and outdoor track. In cross-country, I compete in 5k races, while in indoor and outdoor track, I run events of 400m and greater. 

As I entered my junior year cross-country season, I was excited about the new challenges ahead. However, I struggled with an undiagnosed broken ankle, which impacted my performance throughout the cross-country season. Due to the delay in diagnosing my injury, I was still recovering at the start of the indoor track season. With hard work and dedication, I achieved first place in both the 2025 Indoor Track District and Regional Championships for the 1000m and 1600m events. During the outdoor track season, I discovered that I had os trigonum syndrome, which required arthroscopic surgery to remove the bone growth. I am currently working my way back to competitive running and expect to be back on the course by the middle of my senior cross-country season.

Before joining the high school running teams, I had been actively involved in recreational and travel soccer for several years. In fact, during my freshman year, I played travel soccer in both the fall and spring seasons, juggling my commitments to two different teams while also participating in cross-country and indoor track. However, after careful consideration, I have decided to fully dedicate myself to running and bid farewell to soccer.

In addition to my athletic pursuits, I have managed to maintain a high GPA of 4.10 while taking a challenging course load that includes Advanced Placement, Honors, and Dual Enrollment classes. Starting in the fall of 2024 I began attending the Academies of Loudoun part-time for Auto Service Technology while also taking Dual Enrollment and Honors classes at Loudoun Valley High School.  This academic achievement is a testament to my commitment to excellence both on and off the track.

In the future, I plan to attend college and pursue a degree in engineering or computer science. At the same time, I aim to continue my journey in competitive running. I am excited about the challenges and responsibilities that lie ahead as I work to further my education and embark on new athletic adventures.