Recently, Oratory Prep had its first cross-country meet at Horseshoe Lake Park in Roxbury, NJ. Among their top runners was Aidan Wizeman, who had a breakout JV race placing 7th overall and running a personal best of over thirty seconds. Below I asked him a few questions about the race and his thoughts on the team as a whole.
How did you feel before the start of the race? Were you confident going into it?
“I actually didn’t even think I was going to run at the beginning of the day. I sustained a minor injury from practice the day before, forcing me to cut my pre-meet run short. After icing and stretching intensely that night and hours leading up to the race, I felt comfortable enough to do the warm-up. On my warmup run, my teammate Jack Salaki pointed out to me that my friend, who I didn’t expect to be at the race, was there to support me. After that, I knew I had to run. I felt confident that if I was able to run without any pain, I would without a doubt set a personal record. I just had to put my worries aside and get it done.”
What was your strategy during the race? How did it compare to past races?
“I didn’t have too much of a strategy going into the race because I didn’t think that I would be competing, so I really just went into the race wanting to start off strong and keep up with the top guys. I tend to race my best when I have a strong start. If I were to compare this to any other race, it would be my first time breaking 5 in the mile during Spring Track. I started out with a strong push and ended up breaking a barrier I’ve wanted to hit for quite some time in both races. “
Were there any other people who you were looking to compete with or beat before the race that helped motivate you?
“Yes, in fact I had a few. I wanted to beat everyone I saw running in a Ridge uniform because that’s where I live and I have a lot of friends on the team. I was placed directly next to them on the starting line, which obviously gave me extra motivation to beat the boys in green. I also wanted to beat a few of my teammates who were close to my time to secure my varsity spot. In the end, I just wanted to compete in my race and place the best I could.”
How did it feel in the last 100 meters or so when you saw the clock and knew you were headed for a PR? Did knowing you had the chance to make varsity push you at the end?
“Right before I got into the shoot, or the final part of the race, I saw Coach McCrystal, who told me that I needed to switch to a different gear when I got to the grass. I sprinted my last 100 meters knowing I had the chance to secure a varsity spot if I gave it my all. When I finished, I knew I was somewhere around the 18:40s, but I didn’t know exactly where. I ended up beating my next fastest teammate by only 5 seconds, so kicking at the end was a huge part of my success.”
After such a great first race for OP, where do you see the team finishing this year?
“I see the team doing very well this season, with potential to finish in the top 10 in the state. I see myself as a contributing member of the varsity team throughout the season.”
These are the words from newly minted varsity member Aidan Wizeman. The OP Rams will look to continue a strong opening performance when they travel to Greystone Park to compete in the Bernie Magee Class Meet on Saturday, September 21st with the potential for even more great races.
