Athlete Spotlight: James Wood High School cross country runner Bryce Ratlief

By ROBERT NIEDZWIECKI | The Winchester Star Oct 10, 2017

James Wood High School 17-year-old senior

Sport: Cross Country

Parents: Greg and Becky Ratlief. Hometown: Winchester

What do you love about cross country: I like the team aspect of it. All the boys on my team are really close, so that makes it really fun. Running with your friends is always a blast. Racing is awesome, too. I love PRing [personal records]. There’s nothing better than that.

Most memorable moment in cross country: Last year, at a district mini meet [on Oct. 6], I PRed by over a minute at the Third Battle of Winchester course. I just blew up out of nowhere. That whole season I was running the same time, around a 19:10, and then out of nowhere I ran an 18 flat at that race. (Ratlief placed eighth overall.)

Most embarrassing moment in cross country: My freshman year at the Oatlands Invitational, which is the biggest race we go to, me and Kevin Konyar were running in the last race of the day, which was the JV race for freshmen and sophomores. When we finished our race, we went to do our cool down run, and the rest of the team got ready to go on the bus. On our cool down, we wound up getting shaved Hawaiian ice. We ended up standing on line for 15 minutes, and then we couldn’t find the bus, so everyone wound up waiting for us for 30 minutes. Our coach was pretty mad.

Three people you can have dinner with, dead or alive: Steve Jobs; I’d want to talk to him about his life and entrepreneurship in business. I’d want to hear how he grew into being so successful. Eric Berry, the safety for the Kansas City Chiefs; his story is so inspirational, how he came back from Hodgkin’s lymphoma and became a Pro Bowler. I’d love to talk to him about that. And Steve Prefontaine; I’d like to talk to him about just running in general, because he broke so many records.

If you could use a time machine, where/ when would you go: I’d probably go 10, 20 years into the future just to see how everything in my life ended up playing out. What job I got after college, where I’m living, just my whole overall situation.

If you could go on a trip anywhere in the world, where would you go: Dubai. I think that’s a really cool place. I saw the other day they have the world’s largest indoor theme park, and they also have an indoor ski resort.

Favorite teacher: I have to go with two marketing teachers [Elizabeth] Hunter and [Kim] Ringwald. They’ve been big inspirations for me. Because of them I figured I out I want to go into marketing and business. They’ve helped me throughout all of high school, and they’re people I can always talk to.

Favorite athlete: [Los Angeles Rams wide receiver] Tavon Austin

Favorite team: Jacksonville Jaguars

Favorite movie: “We’re the Millers”

Favorite TV show: “Game of Thrones”

Favorite song: “White Iverson” by Post Malone

Favorite food: Mozzarella sticks

Plans after high school: I want to go to a four-year college, and major in either entrepreneurship and innovation, or marketing. After that, I really hope I can own my own business. If I don’t own my own business, I think it would be cool to be a marketing director or a social media coordinator for a sports team or a big business.

— Compiled by Robert Niedzwiecki