Brendan O'Connor '13 Recruiting Profile

I am a 18 year old Senior at Neuqua Valley Highschool, a trophy winning cross-country team in class 3A IL division in the past 3 of 4 years. I have been on the state roster for both cross-country and track since my sophomore year, and almost qualified for state in the mile as a sophomore at the Sectional meet with a time of 4:30.17. I also run the 800m in 2:00.7, and the 3 mile in 15:32. Running is my passion, and I plan to keep running throughout my college career and the rest of my life. Running has improved my heatlh, my outlook on life, and my character. For me, racing is the cherry on top when it comes to running. I love a true competition and running is one of the purest forms there is. There are very few rules and no special skills required. One must simply make a commitment to work hard every single day and have the courage to push beyond what's comfortable and easy in order to overcome limitations and succeed.

"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." - Steve Prefontaine