Mason's Page: My Athletic Career

Advancing in Cross Country & Track

I never considered doing any sports until my 8th grade teacher convinced me to do track. I was only a skinny kid with little athletic background. I was completely unfamiliar with track as I never even ran on one n'or did I know what all the events were. I chose distance running as a starter, because endurance was something no one chose. I ended up having a lot of success and enjoyment from it that I started running cross country my freshman year, which was also coached by my 8th grade teacher. I learned that cross country was about distance running just like track but it only featured the 5K event, and you can run anywhere besides being stuck on an oval. Even though you were running more distance and having harsher workouts, something about running controlled without having your heart explode every second made it comfortable. I enjoyed being around my teammates and this sport felt more like you were able to bond with anyone else easier than in track. The fun thing is, all courses are different, all runners trained different and from different schools, all runners with different paces, and it makes the stakes higher. Almost 3 years later, it was one of the best decisions of my life and to this day I still participate in both sports.

Starting Another Interest: Powerlifting

Along with both of these running sports, I started participating in Powerlifting my freshman year, and I've also grown to love it along with making connections with my coach. I signed up for "Sports Performance" for the spring semester, and in there, we were introduced how to properly do and improve on Deadlifts, Squats, Bench Pressing, and Hang Clean. My numbers weren't good at first, but at the end of the semester, I was completely unrecognizable. We would also have these powerlifting meets, where multiple schools compete and individuals go against each other in specific weight classes. I was in the 125 weight class, not many people were in the lightweight (125, 135, 145, 155 lb) division. What's fun about powerlifting is seeing the the ridiculous ratios of person's weight to total weight lifted. This would be calculated by your total number of Squat, Deadlift, and Bench altogether divided by your weight. Unfortunately, I did not place first in my first year, which could've happened if I had proper form on my lifts. In the upcoming year, I improved on my lifts, bettered my form, and was more dedicated to lifting than I was last year. At the state tournament, which I didn't attend last year not knowing about it, I faced competitors with insanely high numbers. In the end, I achieved 3rd place in the 125 weight class. Just barely passing 4th place's total. Powerlifting has made an impact on my life and I'm continuing to do it my last two years of high school.

Why not another sport?

I was pretty much limited on my options. But kind of the reason why I started running was watching a few games myself. Other sports in my school had only included golf, football, basketball, wrestling, and baseball. Watching the football and basketball games were refreshing. Outside of these sports, Badminton was a sport I was interested in the most. I would always play Badminton in my backyard with my dad or with a visitor. I enjoyed it because of the high stakes and the precision of hitting the shuttlecock with a lot of force. I've done other sports such as Volleyball and Pickleball in my free time. I enjoy the ones with a net because it sets a base and limit, making strategizing on the spot more satisfying. Some sports are better viewed than played. I wouldn't want to imagine myself on the football field and being tackled. I would also not want to imagine myself getting zero plays and getting the ball stolen in basketball.