TRISTAN GROSS-WRIGHT CITY
“Ever since I was little, I just loved running.”
That’s how Wright City senior Tristan Gross talks about his love for track and cross country as he goes into his final year on the track for the Lumberjaxs.
Gross also plays basketball but says he likes track the best because of the challenge of competing against other individuals. He runs the open 800-meters as well as the one- and two-mile relays and qualified for the state tournament in the two-mile relay his sophomore year. His cross-country career started early on.
“I started running cross country in the fourth grade and I’d run with the junior high team, and I discovered that I was pretty good at it. We made state in cross country as a team three of my fours in high school and finished in the top five each year and we won all state my seventh-grade year. One of my inspirations to do well in track comes from the movie “One Mile to You” which is about a high school runner. I really admire the guy’s dedication, and I’ve watched it several times.”
Now a senior, Tristan has taken on the responsibility of being one of the team leaders.
“As the only male senior on the team I feel a responsibility to keep everybody in line and help them improve. In practice I push them to do better and try harder and show them some of the techniques I’ve used.”
One of his main goals this spring is to qualify for state in the mile run with a time of 4:40 and he’s worked on it during the offseason.
“I’ve taken better care of myself this past year but eating healthier and being active outside of just school running,” said Tristan.
In addition to his schoolwork, Tristan holds down a weekend job at one of the tourist attractions in Hochatown and in his spare time likes to work on cars or hang with his grandma.
“After I leave Wright City, I’d like to be remembered as someone that was a good role model, who never gave up and always did the right thing.”
Tristan plans to attend Tyler Junior College next year and study industrial maintenance.
