Senior Abel Hagos recently joined the long list of McQuaid Knights to capture first place at the Section V Cross Country Championships. Leaving the top pack in the dust, Abel finished 14 seconds ahead of runner up Fairport senior Sean Henretta. With a time of 16:31.5 Abel set the course record at Midlakes High School.

“I was confident that I could place top three, but I knew it could be anyone’s,” Hagos said. “Some people do well in muddy conditions and cold conditions.”

When Abel first began attending McQuaid Jesuit in the eighth grade, joining the cross country team was never even a thought.  Abel’s first sports as a Knight were soccer in the fall and lacrosse in the spring. But soon it became clear to P.E. Coach Todd Stewart, that Abel was too talented not to try running long distance, starting with indoor track his freshman year.

With the counsel of Coach Stewart, Abel traded in his soccer cleats for track spikes and with each season of cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track, Abel gained experience and knowledge, eventually becoming one of the top runners in all of Section V, making him one of the favorites to win this year.

“I knew Sean Henretta and Ryan Thompson would be my biggest competition this season,” said Hagos. “The three of us were the top three returners this season.”

Being this talented comes with expectations, and with expectations comes mounting pressure. However, the pressure of being an elite, all-state caliber runner does not seem to phase Abel.

“When it comes to preparing Abel for the big moments, it’s really nothing more than taking a look at his training,” Coach Stewart said. “If the training is there and it can relate to the situation, I think it gives him great confidence.”

However Abel is much more than pure talent. Becoming the top runner in all of Section V takes years of hardwork and dedication.

“The trait I really notice is his very competitive nature,” Coach Stewart explained. “He is a very focused competitor, he does his homework, he knows his competition almost as much as they know themselves.”

There must be something in the water at McQuaid Jesuit, though, as they have produced three of the last five individual winners at Sectionals with Nick Ciolkowski in 2014, Donny Glavin in 2015, and now Abel in 2018. More realistically, it could be related to Coach Stewart’s philosophy of “peaking.”

“We did a lot of speed workouts and we focused on recovery the week before sectionals,” said Hagos. “I like to get seven hours of sleep, and I was carbo loading the whole week.”

Abel was very grateful for his recent success, thanking all those who helped elevate him to his current position.

“God is on the top of my list, but my parents, Coach Stew, and teammates have all been very supportive,” he said.

Even with Abel’s final cross country races as a Knight behind him, he is still influencing the program.  He was voted by his peers to be one of three captains for the cross country team this year, and according to teammates he has been a tremendous leader.

“He always gives me something to shoot for,” said junior runner Ryan Martin. “It’s great knowing that if I work hard and train like Abel, I will see results.”

Abel plans on running both indoor track and outdoor track to finish the year, and there will certainly be pressure for him to perform.  But with the confidence Abel has and the whole school supporting him, it will be hard to hold him back.