Cross country runner Yakov Schwab (10th grade) became a local celebrity last week when he won the Archbishop Curley Invitational and set a school record time of 19:50. Schwab, who was featured as a headline in the Miami Herald for his accomplishment, is currently in his second year on the cross country team. On Wednesday, September 14, Jack Benvensite-Plitt sat down with Schwab for an interview.
Jack Benveniste-Plitt: Every great athlete has a pregame warmup routine. What do you do before each of your meets?
Yakov Schwab: On the bus ride, I listen to pumping dance music to get myself ready.
JBP: What was your reaction after you won?
YS: I felt really relieved and a wave of accomplishment. Right after I finished, I gave high fives to the rest of my team, then sat down on the bench because I exhausted myself. I felt like I ran my heart out.
JBP: Did you feel any different about this race than others?
YS: Yeah. I ran harder at this race because our school won this race before, so I knew that it was also possible for me to succeed.
JBP: Yesterday, you had another meet where you finished with a time of 20:54. Can we still expect to see you put up even faster times?
YS: Totally. I was able to perform better last time because the track was in better condition. There, the track was solid, while the course yesterday did not afford as much traction. My next meet is also at the track where I set my record. I am confident that I can put up an even better time then.
JBP: Do you have anything else that you want to add?
YS: I want to thank my coaches and teammates for supporting and pushing me and helping me get to where I am today.
The next cross country meet will be Tuesday, September 20.
By: Jack Benveniste-Plitt (10 grade)