PA Salute To Seniors: Sean Burke - Abington Heights
What is your most memorable race/competition?
My most memorable race is cross country states my junior year. Although I did not do as well as I had hoped, it was still really cool to race against the best runners in the state and the experience altogether was really fun.
Where did you face your biggest competition?
Every states race (cross country, indoor/outdoor track) had incredible competition. Any number of those guys could win on a given day and it was truly awesome to race against such exceptional talent. The Paul Short Invitational was also a very competitive race the three years that I raced it.
Out of all of your high school accomplishments, which stands out the most?
My XC state medal stands out the most to me because I had been working hard my throughout my high school career to attain it. Once I knew I had medaled, it felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders.
If you could do it all again, what would you change about your athletic career in high school?
The only thing I would change is that I would have wanted to be more competitive at the state level before my senior year and possibly contended for more state medals.
What were the most difficult obstacles you've had to overcome?
My sophomore year of XC, I had a new coach and I had to adjust to a completely different coaching style. It was difficult at first, but Coach Rob Ahrens’ style ultimately benefitted me as a runner and as a leader.
What will you miss the most?
I will miss seeing my friends/teammates every day, bonding with the XC and track teams, and most of all, I will miss all the great times that I shared with my team.
Do you have any advice for younger athletes?
The best advice I can give is to trust your training and do the little things that improve athletes (warming up/cooling down, stretching, eating healthily, getting enough sleep, etc.). It’s these little things that can help runners improve.
Have your coaches influenced your performance and your life goals overall?
Absolutely. Not only have my coaches helped me improve as an athlete, they’ve also helped me improve as a leader and taught me to act with humility.
What are your college plans?
I will be attending Lehigh University to study accounting/business and continue my XC and track careers.
Shout outs:
-My coaches Rob Ahrens and Frank Passetti for helping me achieve all my goals (both running and non-running).
-All my competitors for giving me a chance to realize my potential and make races both fun and challenging at the same time.
-Jacob Ross for always pushing me harder than I think I can go and never failing to pump me up before races.
PA Salute To Seniors: Benjamin McAuley - North East
Want to be featured in our PA Salute To Seniors series? Drop me a line: don@penntrackxc.com and answer the questions above! Congratulations to the class of 2012 on all their hard work and success.