Ryan Sorensen
Ryan Sorensen is one of those athletes who goes about his business and gets the job done for his team.
The San Marcos senior, a four-year varsity cross country team member, is a big reason the Royals are a top-10 team in CIF Division 3.
?He?s one of those guys that every coach dreams to have,? San Marcos coach Lawrence Stehmeier says ?He works hard, and there?s not a lot of flash, not a lot of attitude; he just does it.?
Santa Barbara Running and Presidio Sports are pleased to recognize Ryan as the male High School Runner of the Month.
Stehmeier recognized Sorensen?s talent right away and put him on the varsity team as a freshman.
?He looked like a 6th grader; his head barely came up to the chest of the other runners,? Stehmeier recalled. But the coach was impressed with his work ethic and talent.
?He?s just worked hard all the way through. He worked hard, he tried hard, he knew what he put into it and knew what he was going to get out it. And he?s been doing that for three years and it?s paying off this year,? said Stehmeier.
Sorensen had a good outing at the recent Mt. SAC Invitational, where he and teammate Eric Salas ran in the Sweepstakes Race and broke the San Marcos boys record on the hilly 3-mile course.
He?s excited about the big meets coming up as season the season winds down.
?I?m looking forward to the end of the season because I feel the best is yet to come for our team and for me individually,? he said. ?We?re definitely peaked for the post season.?
Ryan, the son of Don and Tanya Sorensen, said he got into running when he was in the 5th grade.
?I decided baseball and basketball weren?t my thing and I picked up running and haven?t stopped,? he said.
He ran for Club West, the La Colina Junior High team and now San Marcos. He hopes to run for a Division 1 college in the future.
Ryan puts in close to 60 miles a week. His best 3-mile time this season is 15:16, which he accomplished at the Santa Clarita Invitational. He placed third running against Division 1-2 competition.
Stehmeier said Sorensen is quiet and humble, but he has a competitive fire inside. The coach recalled when he was going through a painful growth spurt during his sophomore year and lost a speed workout one day. His teammates razed him about it.
?Guys were riding him unbelievably, giving him a hard time,? Stehmeier said. ?I said, ?Ryan, are you going to take this.? He said, ?I don?t have to do anything, coach. I?ll let the race take care of itself.?
?I said, ?Wow, the wisdom of this guy.? How many athletes have that attitude? ?I don?t have to waste my time or energy on verbal bantering. I just let my race take care of it.?
?And that?s the kind of guy he is,? Stehmeier said.
The High School Runner of the Month award recognizes local prep runners that exemplify the term ?Student-Athlete? by demonstrating leadership and excellence in high school athletics. ?Thanks to?Santa Barbara Running Company??for making this award possible and for supporting local athletes.
Find other Runners of the Month?HERE
