Ethan Hansen

Ethan Hansen is a freshman who was part of LHS’s cross country team this fall. Despite being a freshman and a relatively new runner, his three years of experience are fewer than most upperclassmen, Hansen’s performance did not show this.

He shaved off nearly a minute this year on his three-mile time, making his 19:44 minutes into 18:49 minutes.

“Ethan is the fastest freshman on the roster and the second-fastest underclassmen,” boys cross country head coach, Mr. Stuart Mendelsohn, shared.

In order to perform as well as he does, Hansen runs for an hour or two a day. Although this sport takes up so much of his time, limiting his opportunities to do things such as bike and rock climb, Hansen doesn’t mind it.

“[Running] brings me happiness and gives me pride when I succeed in running a challenging run,” he shared.

Being on the cross country team has been beneficial for him both physically and socially. He explained that he’s met people that he would never have met if it weren’t for cross country, and he also mentioned that he’s learned new running tips throughout his time on the team.

“Ethan is always asking questions and wanting to know how he can become a better runner and athlete,” said Mr. Mendelsohn. “He adds character, commitment, and the presence of what a member of the XC team should represent.”

Hansen said that he hopes to make varsity cross country one day and Mr. Mendelsohn thinks that is possible as soon as next year. Hansen is also interested in competing in the collegiate level.