Athlete Spotlight: James Wood cross country runner Owen Blye

James Wood High School 18-year-old senior

Sport: Cross country

Parents: Michael and Briana Blye

Hometown: Clear Brook

What do you love about cross country?: The running. We get to run through Winchester, and I get to run with great people. Getting all that great social time and being physically active ... I feel better after I run.

Most memorable moment in cross country: This year at the Third Battle Invitational, it was the best time I ever ran. (Blye recorded a time of 20 minutes, 13.2 seconds in the 3.1-mile race at Millbrook’s home course.) It just felt really good, and my team did really well. It was just a really great race overall.

Most embarrassing moment in cross country: The Central Invitational [in Woodstock]. It was the first race of the season, and I was bumped up to varsity. I didn’t do well at all. I came in close to the bottom.

Most difficult moment in cross country: Close to the beginning of the season, something was wrong with my knee for a while. I was trying to get back to being fully healthy, but still trying to get fast at the same time, that was tough trying to fight through that. My knee was bothering me for about a month into September.

Three people you can have dinner with, dead or alive: George Washington; I’m a big fan of him. He was just a really profound leader for our country. I think what he did was really amazing and brave. Martin Luther King Jr.; I think he’s just an amazing person. He was just a really brave man to go out there and fight for the changes he believed in. I think that’s really powerful stuff. I can learn a lot from him and George Washington. And my dad; I think him being there with the rest of us would be a pretty amazing experience. He’s a great guy, and he’s really knowledgeable about history, so he would ask a lot of great questions.

Biggest athletic influence: My dad. He didn’t start being super athletic until I was probably 5 or 6 years old. He does 5Ks, 10Ks, pretty much everything. I was really able to see him grow as an athlete, and become one of the strongest, fastest, greatest athletes, especially in his age bracket. Just to see him transform into that really inspired me to try and follow in his footsteps and be as good as he is.

Favorite teacher: Mr. [Scott] Madeoy. I had him for math in seventh, eighth and ninth grade at Frederick County Middle and James Wood. He really sparked my love for math. I was struggling a bit in a couple of classes, and he always gave me all the help that I needed to make sure I succeeded very well.

Favorite athlete: Ethan Pratt-Perez. (The former James Wood runner earned Second Team All-Patriot League cross country honors as a freshman at NCAA Division I Bucknell University this fall.) He’s doing really well at Bucknell. He’s a really great guy but was also a really phenomenal athlete. I really enjoy him as an athlete and as a person. He was pretty amazing.

Favorite sports team: Chicago Bears

Favorite movie: “Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”

Favorite TV show: “Parks and Recreation”

Favorite song: “Time” by Pink Floyd

Favorite food: Crab legs

Worst thing you’ve eaten: Peas

Plans after high school: I want to study marine biology and get a master’s degree. I just love the ocean. I’m really into fish. It’s a little weird, but being able to study marine biology would be really cool as a job.

— Compiled by Robert Niedzwiecki