By Matt Browning
Having to deal with an ankle injury over the summer, Maize cross country runner Jay Parrent is excited to get back in the mix.
“Having to sit out part of my training made me appreciate running even more,” Parrent said. “So I’m looking forward to pushing myself in meets and helping our team compete at a high level.”
Before his injury, Parrent was grinding. Whether it was running or strength training, he was gearing up for a successful senior season.
The injury was just a blip on the radar.
“During that time I focused on recovery and staying patient so I could return healthy,” Parrent said. “Now that it’s healed, I’m back to training and feeling strong heading into the season.”
The difference between where Parrent finished last season at state (47th place) and a significantly high finish might have to do with how he closes out races. That has been a focus for him.
“I really want to improve my finishing speed and ability to close races,” Parrent said. “Even though my injury kept me from doing late-summer workouts, I’ve been easing back into strides, hill workouts, and quicker intervals to sharpen up.”
Early in the season, Parrent is focused on just building his endurance back. But once he has it, the focus will be on a high postseason finish.
“Individually, I want to build back up to peak fitness, lower my PRs, and stay healthy throughout the season,” Parrent said. “As a team, our main goal is to qualify for state and place as high as possible in the conference.”
