Ty Buckley '17 Recruiting Profile

After joining the cross-country team for baseball conditioning my freshman year, I had no idea what my future in running would be. That year, I was one of the slower runners on the team, and I did not expect that I would ever run in a varsity race. Faced with the realization that I would not be playing baseball after not making the team, I put my full effort into improving my running, working hard in the summer to prepare for cross country season. Ever since then, I have been constantly improving, much like my team. During my freshman year, we did not run in the state meet; during my sophomore year, when I was the alternate to the varsity team, we came in 17^th in the state meet; and during my junior year, when I was one of the main contributors on the varsity team, we came in 8^th in the state meet. Increasingly, I have found both indoor and outdoor track to be equally rewarding as well.  During my junior season, I have been my team’s leading 3200 meter runner and have gone undefeated in all of our dual meets.  In the years I have spent running, I have learned about perseverance, especially during training, and about teamwork that is geared toward running our best at the state meet.  I believe I will also learn much more from this cross country season and from being a student-athlete in college.

My academics are also extremely important.  I take pride in being named a National Merit Semi-Finalist and also a member of the National Honors Society.  I strive for excellence everyday in the classroom, pushing myself with three AP classes my senior year and a total of four others in previous years.  I have found runners to be some of the brightest students and I wish to continue to be surrounded by both fast and intelligent people.

In college, I would first like to sharpen the skills in academics that will benefit me in the future. I also would like to solidify my career path and use the educational tools my college offers to help me succeed after my studies. In addition to preparing me for my future career, the college I am looking for will provide me with opportunities to create life-long relationships. In cross country and track, I look forward to contributing to a college team by sharing my qualities of perseverance, hard work, and a “team-first” mentality. I believe these characteristics are necessary for reaching both team and personal goals, on and off the track.