Sports Spotlight - Windermere Observer: Troy O'Toole

Olympia High junior cross-country runner Troy O’Toole won the 4 on the Fourth 5K July 4 in Oakland.

By Steven Ryzewski
| 1:40 p.m. July 25, 2018

Sports

Troy O’Toole is a busy guy at Olympia High. A cross-country runner who made it to state as a freshman, he also plays lacrosse and runs track for the Titans. This summer, he’s kept busy, too. O’Toole participated in the 4 on the Fourth 5K in Oakland July 4 and was the top overall finisher across all age groups with a time of 23:44.

Were you surprised to win the 4 on the Fourth 5K?

I was a little bit surprised. I’ve run a couple other ones that I’ve won — I ran the SeaWorld 5K and won. I really enjoyed those two. … I like the community races a lot.

How do cross-country runners work to improve during the offseason?

We get lots of mileage on our legs — lots of hills to get yourself stronger. Lots of weight room and lots of core.

How was the team camp you attended in North Carolina?

The camp was a lot of fun, a lot of team bonding. At camp, you run the mountains and the little trails. We do a lot of timed runs.

What are some goals you have for this fall?

I would love to break 16:15. Some other personal goals would be passing some of my tests. As for the team, we have a lot of new runners. I want to build some of these kids up.

How did you get started in your chosen sports?

I came out of seventh grade not knowing what to do when I came into high school. … I came here, and I asked one of my friends, ‘What kind of sports do you play?’ He said, ‘Cross-country and lacrosse.’ I’m pretty sure he hates me, because I got better at both sports than him.

How do you mentally approach running?

I really try not to think about what’s around me. I will look ahead and say, “Hey, I need to get ahead of that person.” ... Other than that, I sing a song to myself and have a little quote that I use.

What’s your favorite subject?

History — and, other than that, lunch. I definitely like United States history … I like to learn about the U.S. because I live in it. One of my favorite things was learning about all the presidents.

How have you been spending your summer outside of training?

Other than training, I cut grass to make some money — I want to buy a new car — and I have a couple side jobs that I work to see what I want to do out of college. I’m working with a guy who does fabrication just to see if that’s something I want to do down the road. I also hang out with friends and like to go mudding with some of them.