Salute to Our Seniors: Stephen Robertson

 

Stephen Robertson : Wakefield High School

 

"I am glad to have had the opportunity to work with Stephen over the past few years.  I admire his focus to continue to work hard to accomplish the most challenging goals.  I am most impressed with how he has overcome adversity over the past few years.  With his inredible work ethic and passion for the sport, I'm confident his best running days are still ahead. " ----Coach Perry

What do you enjoy doing outside of your running?

Relaxing and hanging around with friends, Frisbee, Biking

 

What are you going to miss most about your high school running career?

Not getting to run my last Outdoor Track season because of an injury. I was in great shape going into the outdoor season with some high goals and expectations.

What was your most memorable race?

If I were to pick my most memorable race it would definitely be All-States in Cross Country. Although Wes Gallagher got me right before the line I wouldn’t have changed a thing about that race when I look back on it. Having two kids under the meet record and running 15:44 was pretty awesome. Getting invited to run in the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix was cool too!

Out of all your high school running accomplishments, what stands out the most?

Getting recruited by Providence was by far my biggest accomplishment. Providence had always been my dream school since I picked up running freshman/sophomore year.

What was the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?

Don’t know where to start! Junior year at the XC All-State meet I stretched my ACL going around the first turn of the course. After that race I went on to miss the next 4 ½ months of running. Foot Locker was also a heart breaker. Top 10 in that race was something that I dreamed of since my freshman year and after placing 12th I wanted to give up on running. However, I realized that there was still work to be done and that I still had many more races ahead of me. Also, Coach Pappas kept me in high spirits and set some substantial goals for the indoor/outdoor seasons. Lastly, missing my outdoor track season due to a nagging injury was certainly not the way I wanted to end my high school running career.

Do you have any advice for younger runners?

If you ever get injured, keep a positive outlook! After missing so much training junior year I was able to get back to top shape after a great summer of running and was able to compete at my highest level. Second, set goals for yourself before the season, but keep them realistic! Lastly, if you are looking to compete in college, you have to make contact with the coaches as soon as possible. Don’t wait around for them to call you. Build a resume to send to them with your times, accomplishments, etc.

If you were to change anything about your high school running career.....what would you change?

Overall I am very satisfied with my high school career.

What are your college plans?

In the Fall I will be on my way to Providence College. I will compete on the Men’s Cross Country, Indoor, and Outdoor Track team. As of now I am undeclared for a major.

Who would you like to say thank you to?

I would like to thank my parents for all of their time that they invested into my running. I can’t thank them enough for coming to every race and for their help throughout the whole college process. I would also like to thank all of my teammates and friends for all of their help and support. Lastly, I would like to thank Coach Pappas for all of his help and for always believing in me. If it wasn’t for all of his knowledge and efforts, none of my success would have been possible!

Stephen Robertson Profile