Roger Cruz
Running can be a lonely sport, according to Ottumwa High School cross country runner, Roger Cruz. He prefers to run with teammates.
A senior at OHS, he has been running since eighth grade. “The Evans coach talked to me about it and I’ve been running every year since.” He also runs middle distance in track, including the 400 and 800 meter races.
He runs year round to prepare for cross country. The off season training includes a lot of longer runs. Interval work is mixed with longer runs during the season. “I might try to run track in college,” he said.
Cruz plans to attend Iowa State University next year and major in chemical engineering. He has taken Project Lead The Way’s Principle of Engineering and will graduate with over 15 hours of college credits.
He enjoys being part of a team. “It is an awesome experience to bond with the team,” he said. He especially enjoys team dinners, held either in restaurants or the home of a team mate. His advice to runners, “Keep at it. Sometimes it gets really hard.”
