Ryan Gil

School: North Allegheny

Class: Senior

Sport: Cross country

Claim to fame: Gil, the defending WPIAL Class AAA champion, placed fourth at Saturday’s Carlisle Invitational in 15 minutes, 55 seconds. The North Allegheny boys team won the meet. Gil also finished fourth (15:33) at the Red, White & Blue meet at Schenley Park.

Pre-meet preparation: “I just try to focus on the race and get in the zone. I don’t really try — it just happens. I’m pretty quiet and stick to myself.”

Pre-race eating, drinking habits: “The day before and throughout the week, no matter how many meets we have, I drink a lot of water. I don’t really eat that much before I’m about to race.”

Shoes: “Actually, since my freshman year I’ve worn the same brand of shoes. Right now, I train with the Mizuno Waves Inspire, and I wear the Nike Zoom Victorys for meets.”

Miles run per week: “It’s about 40 miles right now.”

Is cross country a team sport or individual? “During the school year and regular season, it’s a team sport. You always grow a bond with your teammates from training and going on trips. When you’re running, it’s a huge motivator to know you’re not only running for yourself — you’re running for six other guys.”

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