Senior Gus Stephanos has been running on the UC High Cross Country Team for all four years of high school, and he now holds the role of team captain. Stephanos began running back in the fifth grade, and has grown as an athlete these past seven years.

   “He went from being one of the few JV runner boys to being one of the top runners on the team,” said Teammate Benjamin Rosas. Stephanos’s endurance and persistence are what have made him stand out on the team, especially in such a difficult sport.

   Cross country is an endurance sport. The runners begin their season in the summer, and run most of the year to continue building their stamina. “It takes a lot of dedication. Most people practice every single day of the week,” said Teammate Kyle Quesenberry. Stephanos seems to show some of the highest dedication on the team.

   “Gus works hard. He runs a ton more miles every week than everybody else. He’s dedicating more of his life to it than anybody else, which is what it takes to be super good,” said Coach Gimi McCarthy. Stephanos’ commitment to the sport has allowed him to grow much as an athlete, and this explains his immense success in the sport. Last year, he was able to run two miles in under ten minutes; he is aiming for nine and a half this year.

   “It’s freeing. I spend a lot of my time running, and I feel better when I run. It’s a good way to release energy and de-stress,” said Stephanos. Stephanos says that he definitely plans on running for the rest of his life, and right now, he is looking at running cross country and track on a team at either Mesa College or Humboldt State.

   Through countless hours of training, Stephanos has learned that commitment is what makes for a good runner. Throughout the several years since he began running, he has acquired many different training methods. Stephanos said that he makes sure to run every day, putting in time and running non-stop. “It’s taught me responsibility. It’s taught me how to stay consistent. It’s taught me how to lead,” Stephanos added.

    In his freshman year, Stephanos looked up to the juniors and seniors on the team, but now as a captain, he has learned to step up into a leadership role of his own, showing underclassmen how to do things, now that he has more experience. “I admire his dedication to the sport and how hard he tries all the time,” said Quesenberry.