Rising Tide: Brandon Smith

October 1, 2009

Any Cross Country runner will use two words to describe sophomore Brandon Smith: “He’s fast”. As a sophomore, Smith runs boys’ varsity XC this year. He currently ranks in the top 5 on boys varsity. Smith’s personal best in running the mile is a time of 5:13. He also ran a two-mile race with a time of 12:58 at Garin Park, which is one of the toughest courses in the state. Smith’s success is attributed to his commitment, hard work, and attitude towards Cross Country.

Smith creates a positive environment within the team from which everyone can benefit. “He has a good attitude that makes everyone feel better and work harder”, senior Elliot Lopes said.

Karissa Canonizado, varsity girls captain, recognizes Smith’s commitment to the team. “He is one of those people who constantly shows up to practice. He’s always pushing it.”

She has noticed a change in his performance. “Since he seems to be devoted to the sport and takes practice seriously, I’ve seen him improve.”

Smith accredits his success to his teammates. “It is my teammates pushing me (and) when they get better that makes me want to do just as good as them,” he said.

Smith believes that the team’s success is determined by how well the teammates work with each other. “I don’t think just an individual can make a team better its the whole team and how they make each other better.”

Battling through the arduous workouts has helped him gain an appreciation for his teammates. “It feels like a family,” Smith said.

Smith’s personal goal is quite simple. “My goal is to do the best I can and put in my all for every race to help the team as much as possible.”

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