Hunched over with his hands on his knees in an attempt to catch his breath, a young Rene Meza knows that the hardest part is still ahead of him. He’s one lap into a four lap run around the track, and the thought of quitting has never sounded easier. However, giving up wasn’t an option for Meza. He lifted his head back up and began jogging along the tire-chunk track once more, setting off to tackle the remaining three laps.
That elementary school mile was the hardest run in Meza’s life up to that point. Little did he know that in ten years, he would be finishing 5Ks in 17 minutes and helping lead the Solon Spartans on a push for state meet qualification in his final year on the team.
Meza didn’t always know that cross country was going to be his sport. His older brother, Evzen, played a large role in getting him into it. Evzen graduated from Solon High School in May and was a part of the cross country team for four years.
“He’s really pushed me my whole life. Once he joined cross country, I would watch him race and think, ‘Wow, that looks fun,’” Meza said. “His times were always a big milestone for me to work towards.”
Now as the lone Meza brother on the team and a varsity runner, Meza’s responsibilities as a teammate have increased tremendously for his senior season.
“I don’t always enjoy being a leader,” Meza said. “Sometimes I feel like I have to step up to help other runners on the team.”
Meza has made a huge impact both on and off the course, leading both verbally and by example. His work ethic and attitude have made a positive impact on the team.
“He’s always positive and pushes everybody to do their best even after a bad race,” sophomore teammate Deacon Waddell said.
Waddell and Meza have finished with similar times in the vast majority of the Spartans’ races this season. The two of them have played a large role as varsity scorers for the team, each having a personal best time of 17:30 or better in the 5K.
Meza recently set his personal best time of 17:14 at the Bob Mudd Lynx Invitational Saturday, October 11. That time ranks second amongst the Spartans this season. With the mixture of leadership and stellar performances, Solon head coach Emy Williams has been impressed with the growth she’s seen out of Meza both on and off the course.
“Rene set a goal for himself at the beginning of the season to be more of a leader for the team,” Coach Williams said. “He’s really grown into that role and has worked very hard this year.”
The Spartans are entering “championship season” with the WaMaC Conference meet last Thursday, and their state qualifying meet Wednesday, October 22.
“I’m very proud of the team that we have this year,” Meza said. “Making it to state would be big for us, and we can do it.”
With only a few short weeks to go in his cross country career as a Spartan, it’s safe to say that the young boy running laps around the track ten years ago would be proud of the runner and leader he’s become now. While there’s no doubt he’s a leader now, Meza hopes to put forth an unforgettable performance at the state meet and leave as a legend.