The Sojourn Athlete of the Week, presented by Amplify Media, is Tommy Ott, a distance runner on the men’s cross country and track and field team.
Ott is a junior from Louisville, Kentucky. He attended the Christian Academy of Louisville.
Ott said he was inspired by his brothers to run.
“I always saw them (running) and figured I’d give it a try too. That was in middle school, and I’ve loved it since,” Ott said.
Ott recently competed in the distance medley relay and the mile run at indoor nationals.
That distance medley relay team, alongside Alec Foster, Sam Goodin, and Jacob Harberts, set the school record with a time of 10:03.11 seconds. Harberts, a senior mid-distance runner, said that Ott kept the group motivated during their relay.
“In times of uncertainty, he kept our morale high,” Harberts said.
Ott acknowledged stepping into a leadership role as a junior this year.
“I try to uplift and encourage my teammates as best as possible, cheer them on when they have a rough practice day, and just lift them up and encourage them,” Ott said.
With outdoor track season beginning now, the Wildcats hope to be hitting their peak as they look towards hosting nationals.
“We want to develop as athletes throughout the whole year, not just start when outdoor begins,” Harberts said.
The Wildcats had 15 top-10 finishes individually in the Polar Bear Classic last weekend and have three more meets before the Crossroads League Championships.
