“Whenever I run, I think about things that happened in the past because it makes me sad and angry, and when that happens it helps me push harder and faster towards that finish line,” senior cross country runner Jacob Burns said.
When Burns runs, he has people in the back of his mind to help him push and strive for the finish line. He continues to push harder and harder as he reaches his goal of crossing the finish line. Burns finds motivation to complete longer runs by making each stride personal, a mentality that has carried him through this season.
“I was very excited for Regionals and that I qualified for it. I’ve worked hard for this, and I deserved it,” Burns said. “This past race I was thinking about my friend that had just passed away, so whenever I run, I think about them, and it helps me run faster because it’s like I’m running the race for them and they’re always there with me everywhere I go.”
Running gives Burns the space and freedom to let his mind wander and think about different things, and it offers him a peaceful time free of judgment and stress.
“I have been running for a long time now ever since I was in middle school; I want to say seventh grade, so it’s been in my life a long time and I love running,” Burns said.
Running is one of the most important aspects of Burns’ life besides his education, and he’s eager for the State Champs on Saturday Nov. 16.
“I love how there is always going to be someone on the sidelines cheering you on and rooting for your team succession, there’s nothing more special than knowing someone is cheering you on even when you feel like quitting and giving up,” Burns said.
On the running course, he also loves the attention from other teammates who are cheering him on, on the sidelines because it helps him run even faster towards the end of the race.
“Another thing I love about running races is when you feel like you physically can’t go any further, and you always end up finishing the race with a sense of accomplishment because even if you don’t do your best, you still made it past the finish line,” Burns said.
Burns’ achievements both on and off the course do not go unnoticed by his coach either.
“Burns is one of the best runners, he’s amazing. He has all the qualities it takes to be an even more amazing runner than he is now, and I couldn’t be prouder of him, he’s been great this season and he’s got really great scores and places on each run this year,” cross-country Coach Manuel Montero said. “Whenever we get a senior transfer from another school, we typically look up to them to help out the team and we usually use them as inspiration for the younger ones and that’s what he’s been doing.”
With being one of the best runners on the team and being a leader to younger teammates, Burns is leading the team to greatness and will prove that at states.
“He’s shown me time and time again that he deserved to be on this team,” Montero said.