Matt Erickson is a senior and also a member of the Valparaiso High School boys cross country team. He has finished his last season with VHS XC, but that's not the last we will probably see of Matt. One day he definitely wants to run a marathon and thinks the Chicago Marathon might be a nice one to try someday, with all his cross country training, I'm sure he will do well. "Keep us posted on your results Matt".
Matt's favorite course to run on during cross country was the Rennsselaer course. It is a favorite course for many of the cross country runners because it is a PR (Personal Record) course. It is a flat course with out many obstacles making it more likely to get a PR, which is where Matt got his PR. Matt's PR is 18:06. Rennsselaer hosts an annual Invite and it is an Invite that has the boys run at each grade level. This year at the Rennsselaer Invite, The VHS XC Seniors won 2nd place and received Senior Team trophy for the high hchool. Coach Prow also won Coach of the Meet.
The first 5k or road race Matt ran was the Hill Top 5K, he ran it when he was a freshman. Matt chose to run Cross Country he says because... "I wanted to run a sport that didn't have cuts, so I made my decision". His favorite thing about running cross country this year is "Being a Senior" he says.
When training Matt prefers cooler temperatures to run in around 67 degrees, "It's perfect" he says. Before a race Matt likes to go to Noodles and order macaroni & cheese. Pasta is the most common favorite meal amongst the cross country team before a race.
No more morning cross country practice for Matt and he says he is going to "Sleep in!"
Keep running Matt, stick to your goals and stay positive.
Photos include:
#1 Matt Erickson "bag"
#2 Rennsselaer Invite Senior Team (contributed by Kathy Mangel)
#3 Portage/Lake Central meet 9-21-10 #
4 Viking Team Spirit at State