The third Silvertip Athlete of the Week has been selected! This week, that athlete is senior track and cross country runner Joel Ras. He was chosen because of his athletic performance, academic excellence, and contributions to the Grizzly family.
Ras’ cross country season turned out to be a success this year. When asked about the season he said, “Cross country season went really well.” He claimed to have made big improvements since last season, even coming in second place individually at the league championship for cross country.
Cross country season was great, but it’s the friendships Ras has made along the way that he really enjoyed. “My closest friends as far as my journey and running have been my teammates Liam Beighley, Christian Magana [and] Ivan Huerta,” says Ras. He explains that those teammates have always been there for him to provide support when things have been hard.
Not only is Ras a great cross country runner, he plans to do just as well this season in track and field. “For this track season, I’m anticipating huge personal [bests].” Ras plans to focus on his 800-meter event and his mile event. His goal for this season is to receive well under two minutes for his 800-meter time and to race really well in the mile event.
Ras’ advice for other students when it comes to track, cross country, and sports in general is to never give up. “Stick it through, don’t be a quitter [and] be consistent.”
