Richard Loya '22 Recruiting Profile

I have always been athletic, however I did not start running competitively until my freshman year of high school.  Through the past three years, I have learned a lot from the sport and it has helped me grow both physically and mentally. I use the lessons of hard-work and determination throughout my every day life. 

I am competitive, but I am not the fastest on the team. Despite this, I still bring a lot to the table for my team. First and foremost, I enter every practice and every race with a specific goal in mind and work my hardest to reach that goal. Next, I not only train hard but I study the sport. At the risk of sounding slightly nerdy, this involves watching full marathon and cross country/ track races to study and gain insight from elite runners. I am proud to have earned my spot on varsity and therefore I am dedicated to help my team in any way I can. This includes racing, filming their races, and pacing along side my teammates. This past year, my team and I had the privilege of racing in the 2020 Texas UIL State Cross Country meet after winning our regional 6A title. This experience was more meaningful since our team had not made it to state in 32 years. 

Though running is one of my major commitments, academics always come first. I balance my practice schedule with additional weekly AP preparation sessions. I am also an active member and cadet commander in the Brownsville Composite Squadron in the Civil Air Patrol. This program has helped me develop critical teamwork and leadership skills useful on the track and in the classroom.

I am fortunate to have found a sport that I love, and that I could continue for the rest of my life.