Cross country is a sport at FHS that has an abundance of success in competition and has done fairly well against very tough teams. Senior, Ryan Sickler can attest to this, stating, “My favorite moment in cross country was when I shaved a minute off my previous time at the Great Meadows race.” This was quite the accomplishment for Sickler, considering he achieved this time within a few months, portraying the tenacity and determination he puts into cross country. Sickler shows that there are a lot of memorable aspects of his four years of being on the team and how much the team means to him. Sickler’s favorite part of cross country is being able to watch and cheer for his fellow teammates. This creates a family-like bond amongst the track team and makes the team even stronger.
Sickler only had one problem with cross country and that is not enough people are doing the sport. Sickler states that he would like to see more people do cross country, as it helps with conditioning. Sickler also adds, “It can refresh your mind in the classroom as well.” Everyone has goals they want to accomplish and Sickler is no exception, he says, “My goal this year is to achieve a sub 7:23 5k and condition for winter track.” One big event that Sickler notes is the Richmond, Va. (RVA) meet where many teams throughout the state will be in attendance.
Sickler does not have any plans on continuing cross country in college, however, he does plan on doing recreational running as a hobby. Sickler states, “Coach Scott is one of my biggest inspirations because he does the workouts with us which motivates me to keep pushing.” When Sickler is not pursuing his love of running he enjoys fishing and riding his various four-wheelers. Sickler wants to go to college at Penn State to pursue his dream of being a part of the Army. He plans on going through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program through Penn State to be able to pay for college. Some other colligate options that Sickler has on his radar are James Madison University and Virginia Tech. Sickler is an amazing runner who has plenty of heart and love for running as well as amazing aspirations for his future.
