Today, we salute Jared Scott of Chartiers-Houston, who graduated a few months ago. In his Salute to Seniors, he recounts his experiences competing in high school track and field and cross country in Pennsylvania.
What was your most memorable race/competition?
My most memorable race was the Washington/Greene County Coaches at Mingo Creek Park. I knew I needed to place in the top twenty. So, I trained hard and just went full out on race day. Even though I felt like I would die, I finished in 19th place!
Where did you face your biggest completion?
I faced my biggest competition at WPIAL qualifiers at Cooper's Lake in Slippery Rock since this was the biggest race with the most competitors I ever faced.
Out of all your high school accomplishments, which one stands out the most?
I was honored to be named a recipient of KDKA's Extra Effort Award. It is given to high school students who "who excel, not only in the classroom - but on the field or court and in the community." My school even held a special assembly which included the band and cheerleaders, as well as the entire student body and faculty for sportscaster Bob Pompeani to present me with the award.
If you could do it all over again, what would you change about your athletic career in high school?
If I could do it all over again, I would begin running cross country my freshman year. I had played soccer since I was three and didn't want to give that up. My parents felt confident that I could participate in both sports, but I felt this would be too difficult to do in my first year in high school because I was worried about achieving good grades as well.
What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
My most difficult obstacle was playing varsity soccer as a starting midfielder and running cross country during the same season in addition to maintaining a cumulative 4.0 GPA. Many days I had to run in a meet in one school, then travel to another school to play soccer. I knew I overcame this obstacle when I received the MVP award at our Labor Day soccer tournament, kept achieving PRs in cross country, and was selected as cross country captain.
What will you miss the most?
What I will miss the most are my teammates and my coach. They became the brothers I never had. I will also miss all the great times together and the laughs we shared.
Do you have any advice for younger athletes?
Listen to your coaches and parents, never give up, and have fun. Your coaches have a lot of experience and know what they are talking about, so listen to them and respect them. Always remember your parents are your biggest supporters and only want the best for you. And, the tough times make it worthwhile in the long run. My team bonded through both the fun times and the hard ones. You will always be glad that you stuck it out. The extra miles I continue running when I want to stop have always paid off in the end.
How have your coaches influenced your performances and your life goals?
I was extremely fortunate to have a wonderful cross country coach who was also my English teacher, track coach, and mentor. He tried to persuade me to run cross country in 9th grade, but he understood when I decided to continue playing soccer. In 10th grade, he worked around my soccer schedule and allowed me to do both sports, always being supportive no matter what I chose. As I began to figure out on my own that running was more of my thing than soccer, he encouraged me to take it to the college level. He pushed me both in and out of the classroom to be my best. Additionally, he always had complete confidence in me and knew that I could receive all-county honors. Without him, I don't think I would have done nearly as well. His contagious enthusiasm has contributed to my excitement for competing at the college level.
What are your college plans?
I plan on attending Waynesburg University for Computer Security and Forensics. Additionally, I plan on running cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track.
Shout-Outs?
-Coach Gavazzi for being the best coach ever.
-Tyler, Matt, Joey, Seth, J-Webb, Josh, Julius, Nick, and Cassidy.
-My parents and my sister Shannon.