Athlete of the Week | Brayden Burnett | Cross Country

Sophomore Brayden Burnett is a returning runner that went to State in 2018 and has been a top finisher on a highly ranked team packed with talent this year.

My most memorable meet that I’ve had has to be the 2018 State Championship. It was pretty scary going up to the line being the only freshman on the team and the hundreds of people watching us at the line. It was good experience for me and the rest of the young guys to learn the course for the following years. 

Haven’t won a championship yet, but the future for this team is bright. We have a young core for our varsity and will only be getting stronger with the workouts Coach Gall is having us do. 

Like I said, Gall’s training is the best training we could possibly have. It’s a lot, but not enough to cause any injuries with the right stretch routines. We average about 50 miles a week with one or two workouts and a couple longer runs on Thursdays and Saturdays. Through this past summer, we got used to it. 

My first loss in the sport was in the eighth grade state championships. For middle school it was a two mile race, and I was leading through the mile. Then slowly, one by one, people started to pass me. It was so frustrating going out too fast, but it taught me a lesson to end your race faster than you started. 

I have not always liked the sport. I hate it at times, when I have a bad race/run, but there’s never a thought in my mind to quit. I think this sport helps the most to teach your lessons for life. You’re going to feel pain, you’re going to want to quit, but it’s at that point that you get faster and stronger. That is where people quit, but you can’t quit. 

I decided to do cross country in 7th grade over football for one reason: my mom made me, but I thank her for that. 

Before a meet, I eat a good breakfast and lunch. Then, I try to stay off my feet as much as possible to stay fresh, until we have the 15 minute warm up. I try to calm my nerves by taking deep breaths.