Name: Bryce Dufrane
High School: Chopticon
What was your most memorable race/throw/jump/vault/moment? Why is that?
My most memorable race would be my freshman year cross-country states race. It is most memorable because I had to work so hard to get there. I started the season nowhere near top 7 on my team but I was so motivated to get there and run that course again after falling in love with it at Bull Run.
Was there a certain moment or breakthrough race/meet when you realized you would be able to compete at a high level?
I would say that I never felt that I could compete at a high level until my senior year. This cross-country season was the first time I had felt like I needed to/ should be placing high at every meet, including the invitationals. I then stacked onto my confidence in the indoor season winning my first individual conference championship and then running fast times all outdoor season.
What are some bumps in the road that you've encountered when it comes to training for different events during the season?
When training for different events I learned my strengths and weaknesses. I am not very fast over short distances but learned that more mileage will increase my speed and I definitely was stronger over the long distances
If you are writing a letter to your younger freshman self, what advice might you give them?
I would tell my freshman self to never give up and keep the same motivation for wanting to be the best runner that I could be. I would also tell him that shin splints are a mindset, not an injury.
If you had to pick: Track and Field or Cross Country, and why? (If you only run Track, then don't worry about explaining why).
Cross Country, while track meets and races are very fun, the family environment of cross country cannot be beaten. Having a smaller team that all runs the same races and distances creates a bond that track cannot compare to. Every year we had a family, not just a team. We all won together and lost together and track never gave that same feeling.
What are your post-high school or college plans? If Running in college, explain why you picked that school.
Running track and XC at Flagler College. I picked Flagler College because the team environment has a strong bond and was somewhere that I want to be. This team will be very good and I want to be a part of it. I can also tell that the coaches really care about the runners and want to see all of us succeed. Also having a beautiful, historical school next to the beach is a big plus.
What is your favorite pre-race snack, tradition, etc.?
Before every single race in high school, one hour before my race I ate half a pb&j and a banana. After that, I liked to visualize the race so that when it was time to race, the nerves were gone because I felt like I had already been there before.
Name the top Maryland Cross Country or Track moment(s) you have witnessed. Can be by level of greatness or just something that really stood out to you.
Watching my captains, Zack and Jeff Wedding, excel in their races my freshman year is what inspired me to be my best and hopefully run as they did. I always had a goal after seeing the greatness they constantly did in every single race.
Who would you like to say "thank you" to?
I would like to Coach Schmidt for always pushing me to be my best and always showing care for her runners. Most importantly I would like to thank my family for everything to do. The constant sacrifices they made and made to see me running is not appreciated enough. They would come to every race they could to watch me race and cheer me on. It is always nice knowing that my mom, dad, and sister were cheering for me and yelling at me in my races. I also would like to thank all of my teammates throughout the years. We always pushed each other to get better and when I was younger I had people to look up to.
Is there anything else you would like to mention that stands out to you over the past 4 years?
Running is something I used to think of as just a workout or something to get you in shape. Over these past 4 years, I have learned to love running and it has changed me as a person and is a lot more than just quickly putting one foot in front of the other.