Chris Barrientos of Bryant XC Senior Sendoff

Chris Barrientos of Bryant XC Senior Sendoff



What was your most memorable meet and why?

  • I would have to say the conference meet this year because I was able to redeem myself on my home turf. I remember running the course the day before, mapping out every single strategy tactic to be mentally prepared for the race the next day. I was also able to run a PR, which is always nice to have.

Where did you face your biggest competition?

  • For a long time, my biggest competition was in my head. I would always freak out before races and let the nerves get the best of me. As I've matured throughout the years, I can now say that I am mentally stronger than ever.

Out of all of your high school accomplishments which stands out the most and why?

  • Definitely finishing runner-up at the Meet of Champs my freshman year. It was my first time running under 10:00 for 3200 meters and I was able to prove that I was one of the best distance runners in the state. I remember running a mile in 4:56 at the beginning of the year, and being able to do that two times in a row was just astonishing.

If you could do it all over again what would you change about your running career in high school?

  • I would have not overworked myself coming into my sophomore year. I got excited because of a successful past track season and ended up doing my harm than good. I ran 65+ miles by the end of the summer and countless hours of cross-training, which I was never able to recover from. Now I know that more is not always better.

What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?

  • Starting with the state meet my sophomore year, I would have these strange incidents where I would just collapse at the end of the race, often following with a series of vomits and heavy breathing. It's now happened over multiple occasions- usually on the last races of the season- and I was never able to figure out exactly why that would happen.

What will you miss the most?

  • I will miss those 6:00 AM morning runs, being able to meet new runners and compete with them in the races, and especially singing "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" with the team before every XC meet. I've made so many new relationships through the running community, and I'm excited to continue to meet new runners throughout the years.

Do you have any advice for younger athletes?

  • Running is all about patience. If you don't have patience, you can't succeed in any sport. As an athlete, you won't always have things go how you want or think it should go- you have to be okay with that and just move on from those bad races. Let those rough races give you motivation to run faster the next race. In the end, running is a learning process.

What are your post-high school or college plans?

  • Right after high school, I plan on going on a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. From there, I plan on running in the collegiate level and majoring in Kinesiology or something along the lines in Health and Fitness. I've always wanted to run for BYU (probably as a walk-on) but I have other options to consider.

Who would you like to say thank you to?

  • I have to give a big thanks to the people who introduced me into running- my two sisters, Melissa and Paula. They've always supported me throughout the years and I wouldn't be where I was today if it weren't for them. I also have to thank my middle school coach, Coach Smith, as well as my current high school coach, Coach Oury. They've helped prepare me for races and trained me throughout the early stages of my running career, something I will never forget. Lastly, I have to thank my mom for doing everything she could to support with my running. She would always prepare tasty lunches for me and never hesitate to buy new running shoes when mine old ones were wearing out. There is no way that I would be moving on with running in the collegiate level without these people in my life.