Today I had the chance to interview Aidan Philbrick. Aidan is currently a junior, who has been attending Oratory for his whole high school career. He has been running cross country ever since sophomore year. In this article, we will learn more about Aidan’s involvement in cross country

How long have you been running cross country?

This past season was my second year running OPXC, and it is only my second season running cross country.

Would you run cross country in college??

Although it would be cool, I do not think I will be going to a college to run cross country. However, if there was a club team I could join I would like to participate in that.

What is one word that you would use to describe yourself?

I believe the word persistence would describe me as I was able to make significant improvements to my time this season.

Was there a major influence or something that swayed you chose to run cross country?

When I saw the brotherhood and friendships that formed through the cross country team I knew that was something I had to be a part of. 

Who would you say is the biggest influence in your life currently?

My biggest influence is easily my dad. The way that he is able to get things done and accomplish whatever he sets his mind to have always impressed me, and I hope I can be half the person he is someday.

Do you have any pregame routines? If so what are they?

One pre-race ritual I have is that the night before the race I will eat a Mac Daddy burrito from Tito’s as my dinner. Although it seems crazy, I achieved a personal best each time I did this.

Do you currently have a personal goal (or goals) for this season? If so what are they?

My goal entering the season was to achieve a varsity time, which is a 19:30 and possibly even surpasses that.

Did you reach your goals?

By the end of the season, I was able to beat my goal by running an 18:48, which is about six minutes better than my personal best from last year.

Does anyone in your family run (or ran) cross country? If so who?

When my dad was in high school he ran cross country, along with my great grandfather who was very talented in the areas of track and long-distance running.

How do you feel about the season now it is over? Do you wish you did anything differently?

I feel like that this season was a success, not only for myself but for the team as a whole. I can’t really say I wish I did anything differently as I continued to improve throughout the season, but I only hope to do better next year.