Senior Lucas Robins leads a pack of runners during a boys varsity cross country race at the Baldwin Invitational Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. Robins stepped into a role of seniority leadership on the cross country team after realizing he was one of the only seniors running varsity this year.
Senior Lucas Robins leads and inspires his cross country and track teammates
After switching to long-distance running from soccer due to an injury, Robins has stepped into a leadership role
For senior Lucas Robins, leadership looks like cheering on his track and cross country teammates, setting the tone for both practices and competitions. Although he does not hold an official title, Robins, as one of the few seniors on the team, has stepped into a leadership role.
Robins did not start running for cross country or track until his sophomore year, after an injury prevented him from continuing playing soccer. However, Robins believes he found his community in cross country.
“After my freshman year [playing] soccer, I had a really bad back injury, but I always loved to run, so it just seemed right for me [to switch to cross country] to stay healthy,” Robins said. “The team is super welcoming. I met my two best friends from running cross country.”
Robins believes that being a leader means putting an emphasis on his relationships with his teammates.
“I try to have fun with everyone,” Robins said. “I definitely feel like being a leader is having a relationship with everyone, so I try to have fun with everyone. But when I need to focus and be serious, I am.”
Varsity cross country runner freshman Jordan Schierbaum believes Robins is a good motivator for the team.
“[Robins is] a good leader,” Schierbaum said. “He gets us going a lot, moving with the time and everything. He’s a very fun person to be around as well.”
Schierbaum explains that Robins is an admirable athlete because of how he interacts with his teammates.
“[I want to have Robin’s] kindness and competitiveness,” Schierbaum said. “You obviously want to be competitive, but you also want to be kind to your teammates. If you have a bad race, you don’t want to show too much emotion about it and [you should] congratulate your teammates on finishing the race. That’s what he does.”
Robins believes that the teams’ drive and positivity give their practices a good atmosphere.
“I’d say I’m most proud that everyone comes to practice with like a smile on their face,” Robins said. “No one is dreading practice. Everyone wants to come and get better every day and just have fun with it.”