Athlete Spotlight: James Wood cross country runner Lillian Lovelace

James Wood High School 17-year-old senior

Sport: Cross country

Parents: Christopher and Lindsay Lovelace

Hometown: Winchester

What do you love about cross country?: The friendships, and how it feels like a family, and all the teamwork we put in together to help us get better.

Most memorable moment in cross country: When we went to states my freshman year. We just had a really good team. We’ve had a really good team all the other years, but it’s always been a goal to get back to states for the past three years. [In 2019], the people that we ran with, the seniors that ran that year, and the seniors that left last year that I knew since freshman year, they’ll always be people I remember.

Most embarrassing moment in cross country: Just all the times I’ve tripped on the sidewalks.

Most difficult moment in cross country: The 1K workouts that we have to do. I like the workouts, but they’re always the hardest and the ones that I look forward to the least.

People you can have dinner with, dead or alive: My dad, my mom and my grandma Margaret when they were my age. It would be cool to see what they were like, and see if we were really similar or different, and if we would get along. I think we would. And Rhett Butler from “Gone with the Wind”; I just think he’s pretty cool in the movie.

Biggest athletic influence: [Teammate and senior] Quetzali Angel-Perez. She runs workouts very well, and I always run with her. She pushes me.

Favorite teacher: Mr. [Shane] Lympus. I had him for history my 10th-grade year and government this year. When he teaches class, he teaches it like an interesting conversation more than he does a lesson. That makes the class more fun and enjoyable. It’s more easygoing, and you can just talk about anything.

Favorite athlete: Any of my teammates.

Favorite teams: My cross country team and track team.

Favorite movie: “Gone with the Wind”

Favorite TV show: “Adventure Time”

Favorite song: “The Unforgiven III” by Metallica

Favorite food: Peanut butter

Worst thing you’ve eaten: SaladPower. It’s like salad as a smoothie with mango in it. It’s disgusting.

Plans after high school: I’d like to go into the Air Force. I’d like to enlist and become a SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape) specialist. You have to stay physically fit, you’re always outdoors, and you learn a lot of skills. It’s a big challenge that would be really cool to accomplish.

— Compiled by Robert Niedzwiecki
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