Name: Parker Ludwig

Sport: Cross country

Grade: senior

How long have you been running cross country?

“I have been running cross country ever since first grade. My mom got me into running as she herself ran in college as well. She was also my coach up until sixth grade, coaching run for the hills and track for around six years altogether.”

What other sports do you play at FHC?

“I also run track on top of competing in cross country. Similar to cross country, I tend to run the higher mileage events, such as the mile and two mile, and even participated in achieving the school record for the 4 x 800 relay with my team.”

What is your best memory from your time running cross country?

“My junior year was the first time I qualified for a state-level meet, and best of all, we qualified as a team. Seeing a race put together on that large of a scale was a crazy experience, and finishing the race on a real car race track was my favorite part.”

What are the strengths of this year’s team?

“I believe that we have a very young team. Lots of our runners are not seniors and still compete with older age groups. I feel like the cross country program can continue strong in the coming years because of this, and I am thankful to see it grow positively.”

What are your individual goals for this season? 

“My goal for this season is to run a five-kilometer race under sixteen minutes. Last year, I was only fourteen seconds away, so hopefully, this year can be my final push into my goal.”

Who is the biggest influence in your athletic career and why?

“My mom has been my biggest influence. She has been my coach in the past and still coaches me from the sidelines to this day, giving me tips and workouts in the off-season.”

Do you have any superstitions associated with your meets?

“We have a chant we do before every meet during our runouts where someone stands in the middle and yells something the circle around them repeats. You have to be there to understand what we are chanting, but it is a good way for everyone to get hyped up before a race and remember we are all running together.”

What is your favorite class this year and why?

“AP Computer Science is my favorite class because of my friends in it, along with the interesting topic of learning how to write codes.”