Today I interviewed Benjamin Cassatt-Reina about his victory in qualifying for state! I asked Ben how excited he was. This was his response: “ you know I’m pretty excited to be running against some of the best people, just have to keep a good mindset”.

Here are some questions I asked Ben.  If you could run with anybody dead or alive who would it be and why? “I would run with Coach K because he is the best running coach I’ve ever had and he keeps me motivated to keep going and to accomplish my goals”. Who has made you a better runner since the beginning of the season and why? “Again Coach K because he is always pushing me to the limits and keeps me going. He is also at every meet cheering me on and getting me ready to whoop everybody at their own game”.

I asked him what he was hoping for when he goes to state he said, “I’m hoping to place and PR (personal record) and to run my best but if I don’t do so good that’s okay because it’s my first year going I also hope to meet some new people and make some cool new friends”. 

How are you preparing yourself to compete at state? This is how Ben answered, “I am preparing myself by having practice after school to keep in shape for state and I go to the gym everyday I can and do harder workouts so I can be one of the stronger runners there and so I can keep my mindset even when I’m not at practice”. 

I also asked Ben If he ever thought he would ever be going to state for running cross country he thought pretty hard about this question here is what he said, I kinda knew i was going to state by how my season was going but you know I never thought I would be heading to state this young I thought it was going to at least be my senior year, but now that I’m looking back on my old cross country days in middle school I should be going to state. I’ve pushed myself so hard to be heading that way and accomplish what I’ve wanted since I started running”. He also said “Thank you to those who have helped him get to where he is now in the sport Cross Country”.