Serious and silent on the line, junior Jadon Sparer was ready to race. He was “…feeling a little bit of nerves before the race, but was also hyped and ready to run.” Jadon explains, “On the line I was quiet, trying to lock in for the race. We were all serious because we knew the race we were about to run was a big deal.” Districts was at Ed Radice Park in Hillsborough county, a venue where several of the boys have played soccer at since they were younger. Cones and flags had been laid out to transform the sports complex into a 5k course. Jadon explains that his race “…did not go as well as I would’ve hoped. I felt good at the start of the race but started to feel nauseous as the race progressed. I faced some challenges because I was getting sick near the end of the race and I just had to push through because I couldn’t let down myself or my team.” Jadon is a classic example of a cross country runner who just will not give up. He finished the race with a time of 18:02 beside his teammates, and although he didn’t run his best race, he was still very happy for his team. Jadon reveals that “…our team is very closely bonded. We always joke around with one another and help each other out in tough workouts and races.” Jadon and the boys laughed and smiled together after the race during their cooldown and while waiting for awards. “Our team did amazing and we won districts by a huge margin. I feel confident in how our boys performed. I know we can finish the season in a strong fashion.”

And Jadon is looking forward to the future and the next state series races. He says, “My goals for running are to have big PRs during the rest of my junior and senior season. I’m hoping to be able to run at the college level, because I love running. It helps me clear my mind and maintain a healthy lifestyle. And being on the team is this best because we’re all friends. We’re gonna do big things in the next races.” Jadon is excited to compete in his first state championships on November 17th. He reveals, “We have a shot at winning the state championships, and we’re going to do everything in our power to achieve that.”