By Alex Gryciuk
The adjective awesome epitomizes Senior Ryan Chaudoin. Wowing school peers and athletes alike, Ryan dashes toward incredible accomplishments as a scholar-athlete. Showing great skill and determination, he dominates cross country, long distance track, and also demonstrates great academic achievement.
Perseverance and determination along with speed set runners up for incredible results. Ryan has displayed those qualities throughout the entirety of his high school career. During his four years on varsity, the runner hasn’t had it easy. Even while battling injuries for most of Sophomore and Junior year, Ryan explains that he “still came to practice, raced, and worked to get better.” Despite his tough injuries, Ryan remained determined and kept his spot on Varsity. He reminds the team that determination leads to great results as he states, “I’m racing better than I could for the previous two years.” All wrapped up in one great athlete, true grit and speed create an amazing Long Distance runner. In his final season in Cross Country, Ryan leads the team to victory as a captain and role model. His proudest accomplishment for the team “was helping the team grow into a family” and having “the undefeated season too.”
In addition to great athleticism, Ryan works diligently at school. Firstly, he pushes himself while studying at West Valley’s College Advantage program. Impressively, he also is one of five National Merit Scholarship Foundation semifinalists at Westmont. The National Merit Scholarship foundation awards scholarships to U.S. students based on PSAT scores and must corroborate those scores with SAT and ACT scores. Only 16,000 of 15.1 million students in the U.S. make it as semi-finalists to the scholarships available. Ryan’s determination as a scholar sets himself apart as a highly skilled academic while still training as an athlete. He emphasises to students that “effectively utilizing time is the best way to succeed as a student athlete.” He further elaborates that “using free time during school to avoid having a ton of homework at home is helpful.”
Ryan Chaudoin exhibits what it truly takes to be an outstanding student-athlete by using skillful athletic ability and striving for academic excellence. GO RYAN! To support him, watch his next Cross Country Race at Montgomery Hill Park on the 14th of October!