Senior runner reigns victorious

October 27, 2017

Senior Mark Provenzo does not remember a time when he wasn’t running.

What started out as an everyday activity used to pass time became a beloved sport that has allowed Provenzo to develop the skills needed to be victorious in the Boy’s 5,000 meter run at the PIAA WPIAL Championships in Slippery Rock, PA.

Provenzo ran a winning time of 16:18, earning him first place in his division.

“I actually didn’t start out as a distance runner at first,” said Provenzo. “I was a sprinter for a time before I found that I was better at keeping my endurance in long races. I love running even more now.”

But being an athlete is never easy, and with successful results comes long and tiring practices in preparation.

According to Provenzo, the type of workouts and the amount of practice you do depends on what type of running you compete in.

“Track focuses more on speed and turnovers during your run,” said Provenzo. “While as in cross country, speed isn’t as much of a focus. Instead, cross country focuses more on having good endurance and being able to keep up with a lot of hills and turns that are on the course.”

Provenzo competes on both the high school cross country team in the fall and the track and field team in the spring.

But between the two, Provenzo prefers the outdoor trails of the cross the cross country courses compared to the confined ring of the track.

“I try and stay motivated throughout the season by giving myself a goal and telling myself to keep going until the end said Provenzo. “Whenever you race, you always feel like you have something to prove, and you want to see all of your hard work pay off by reaching your goal,” he said.

But in trying to qualify for WPIALs and later states, Provenzo continued to work hard and long hours in order to place high in the rankings.

With these events, the top runners from around Pennsylvania state compete against each other in order to come out of their races with the best time possible.

“I didn’t really want to win,” said Provenzo. “I mainly wanted to see how I fared against other fast runners. With big competitions as these, the best of the best come together and you see just how good you really are.”

But running has always been a passion of Provenzo’s and it will continue to be one in the upcoming years.

“I’m planning on joining the cross country team at Duquesne University once I graduate this year,” said Provenzo. “I can’t wait to continue running and I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon.”