Chad Hayes '20 Recruiting Profile

I feel in my heart that I was born to compete.... and definitely born to run.  My Dad helped me realize this when I was 12 years old and running for the Valley Raiders.  I had shin splints the whole week leading up to the open finals.  I was competing in the 1500 and 800.  My Dad told me that to become a man, you must get through adversity... so he taped ice to both my  shins right up until race time.  I took the ice off a minute before the gun sounded.  I ran great for three laps, but in the fourth lap the numbness wore off.  I pushed through the pain and got my first place medal!  That's when I knew that God had given me a gift. 

I went on the win the EOC finals as an 8th grader with a time of 4:22 in the 1500 and a 2:12 in the 800.  As a freshman I went to the City Finals in the 1500, but strained my hamstring down the stretch and finished 4th with a 4:41.  I sat out my 10th grade season because I tore my quad playing football.  This past season (I ran for Coach Bellows at Icon Track Club), I qualified to compete for a chance at the J.O. trials.  I qualified in 3 events (1500, 800 and 200), but I ended up sitting them out because the scar tissue from last years injury caused a slight strain in my quad, due to me running through a leg cramp the week before (I cramped up on lap two but insisted on finishing-- not the smartest thing to do).  My Dad said it wasn't worth the risk, so he sat me down.  My Dad took me to Kerlan Jobe (Dr. Shields) and he said I had a grade two strain and i would be fine with physical therapy, which I am doing now. 

I will add value to whichever school I choose because I am a good person, a good son, a good student, a good practicing Christian and I love to run.  I am passionate about running.   I will definitely enhance the 'synergy' of your team (that's a word I learned from my Dad and from Sean Covey's book 'The 7 habits of highly effective teens'). 

Although my parents are divorced, I spend about half my time with each one of them.  I try to maintain some balance as best I can.