Freshmen Vihaan Devireddy and Lia Sinitere were both named in the top 500 of freshman runners in the state of Georgia on Sept. 6. Sinitere and Debireddy are members of the boys and girls cross country team respectively, with impressive times as freshman at their first meets.
Devireddy has a personal record of 16:57.33 for 5k and Sinitere has a 20:30:41. Devireddy looks to improve this time throughout the season and qualify for sectionals and state.
“My biggest improvement took place from winter last year to the eighth grade track season,” Devireddy said. “What motivated me to train harder and take running more seriously started mostly when I was out of shape. Increased competition led me to take this sport much more seriously.”
Additionally, Devireddy said that coming to Midtown for summer practices has changed his training approach and allowed it to become more structured.
“Coming out of eighth grade, I didn’t have any coach assigning or recommending workouts for me,” Devireddy said. “But as summer practices started, I had a training plan from Coach Jamal, and running with athletes two to three years older than me changed my training as a whole.”
Sinitere agreed with Devrieddy, saying her approach has changed under new coaching. She said she is pushing herself more and starting to treat cross country as more than just an after school activity.
“I wasn’t taking training as seriously in eighth grade as I do now,” Sinitere said. “I’ve transitioned from having just two practices a week last year to training every day. I have also been running on my own and with the Atlanta Track Club a lot during the off-season to prepare.”
Both runners have goals to run throughout high school and possibly even after. Sinitere said that being on the team has helped her build goals and given her an opportunity to achieve her dreams.
“This season, I aim to run a sub-20-minute 5K, which I believe I can accomplish, and I hope to help the girls varsity team compete at the state meet and place,” Sinitere said. “My greatest motivation is my love for the sport. It is very rewarding to improve, and I really want to run in college.”
Girls senior captain Carmela Marra highlighted the energy Sinitere brings to the team.
“I appreciate Lia’s commitment and enjoyment of running, and I think it positively influences everyone else at practice,” Marra said. “I’m really excited for the future of the team because of runners like Lia.”
Devireddy said that his first meet gave him confidence and guidance for this season and the ones to come.
“Starting with a solid time of below 17 minutes in my first high school race with a very experienced field of athletes, I have confidence to become even faster,” Devireddy said. “If I want to hit times between 16:00 and 16:30, I will need to strengthen my endurance from start to finish to run along with these top guys.”
First year Head Coach Isaac Seals said, although he is still learning all the runners and their strengths, he was impressed by the whole team’s first times at the meet. Seals said that especially young promising talent from runners like Devireddy and Sinitiere is crucial for the team’s success.
“When I saw these kids run, I said, we have some talent in this school,” Seals said. “I really think this boys and girls team is going to shock a lot of other teams in the state. With that core group, they could possibly be a podium team.”
Senior captain Cameron Collier, said Devireddy is a perfect match for the team, and thinks he has a strong future ahead of him.
“Right now it looks like he is fitting well into the spot we lost last year when Harrison Goncher, who was in the top seven, graduated,” Collier said. “Devireddy helps eliminate his loss and a promising future for him, and in turn the team.”
Devireddy said that older teammates provide valuable lessons and advice in competing at a higher level.
“Having teammates with two to three years of high school cross country experience is extremely valuable for me, especially as a freshman,” Devireddy said. “They’ve taught me things like race mentality, what to prioritize, and strategies I never knew in eighth grade.”
Sinitere said older team mates provide her with support, and are very important to her in becoming comfortable with the sport.
“As a freshman, I hope to bring positivity, dedication, and a good team environment,” Sinitere said. “From my older teammates, I want to learn from their experiences to become a better runner.”
