Salute To Seniors: Jason Crist - Franklin Central
What was your most memorable race?
My most memorable race was the 1600 at the 2010 State Track Championships. I ended up finishing second to Chris Walden as a sophomore by less than a second. I was right there at the lead with 100 meters left in the race, but couldn't finish it. I never forgot how it felt to come so close and still come up short in the end, and watch someone else run away with the race.
What would you consider your biggest competition?
Running against Futsum Zienesellassie for four years was pretty challenging. He was a phenom from the beginning of his freshman year, and I managed to beat him only once in the past four years.
Out of all of your high school accomplishments which stands out the most?
Winning a state title at the end of my senior year was something that was really special to me. After so much hard work and coming up short, I was very happy to see all of my work finally pay off.
If you could do it all over again what would you change about your running career in high school?
I would be a little more dedicated my freshman year. I still worked hard all the time, but there were definitely plenty of weekends where I took a day or two off. After seeing how much I improved the past few years by running much more over the weekends, I feel like I could have been a little better had I been more committed.
What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
I was very lucky. I did not have very many injury problems, and none of them were very serious. The biggest obstacle I had to overcome was recovering from a surgery in the summer between my sophomore and junior years. I had surgery done on my chest (non-running related), and it took forever for the doctor to clear me to begin training for cross country. I missed out on a few weeks of training, but nothing major.
What will you miss the most?
I will miss spending a lot of time with my teammates. All of my best friends are teammates of mine. We always had so many fun times, and I will miss seeing those guys every day.
Do you have any advice for younger athletes?
Don't wait after a couple years to become dedicated. Embrace the sport early in your career, become a student of running. Try to learn as much as you can. The more you learn and the sooner you learn it, the better off you will be. No matter how naturally talented you are, you can still experience success if you are willing to work hard every day.
What are your college plans?
I will be running cross country and track for the Hoosiers at Indiana University for the next 4-5 years.
Who would you like to say thank you to?
First, I would like to thank my parents for so much support throughout my career. They missed a total of two races in the past four years. Next, I want to thank my coaches. I could not have done half of the things I have if it weren't for them. I know they will never take any of the credit, but they deserve it all.
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Want to be featured in our Salute To Seniors series? Drop me a line: TGrasley@milesplit.com and answer the questions above! Congratulations to the class of 2012 on all their hard work and success.