Aledo cross country runner Tyler Connelly finished fourth in the Region 1 cross country meet Oct. 26 in Lubbock, finishing the 5,000-meter race in 14 minutes, 57.3 seconds.
He runs Friday, Nov. 6, in the Class 6A state finals in Round Rock.
It’s one of his many accomplishments of his high school career.
But before Connelly became an accomplished runner, his inspiration first came from his brother.
“My brother, Trevor, left on a mission trip for my church for two years,” Connelly said. “He was a runner in high school, so I started doing [cross country] as a way to connect with him while he was in South America on his trip.”
Connelly started running cross country by joining organizations and participating in meets across the country when he was in the sixth grade.
“One of the girls on the cross country team, her dad had a club in Weatherford that I joined called Mach 1,” Connelly said. “I ran track with them for a few years. We always did meets in Arlington and Haltom City, and then I went to Tallahassee for one. It was the most memorable experience for me back when I was in [sixth grade].”
Connelly prided himself on getting his runs done early, the drive to be “great,” and having an intense mindset.
“Day in and day out, I had to wake up and put in the mileage,” Connelly said. “I run 63 to 70 miles a week, and depending on the morning, I run six to eight miles for practice. It may be an unhealthy mindset, but I tell myself that this is what I have to do to be great, and so it’s the one thing on my mind every single day that I wake up. If I don’t get the run done, then I can’t go on with my day. It helps me get better.”
Connelly credited the city of Aledo for his progression, and said he wants to help other cross country runners in the future get the sport recognized more at the school.
“Physically and geographically, [Aledo] is a very cool place to run in,” Connelly said. “It’s a really pretty town. The atmosphere of being competitive and striving to be your best is an aspect that pushes you. The presence that football holds in Aledo, and how it’s so much bigger than cross country also puts in my mind that I have to do this for other cross country runners, and show them that it’s a sport that’s a big deal.”
The memories of traditions Aledo’s cross country team has are some of Connelly’s favorites.
“Long runs with the team around Aledo every Saturday when we don’t have meets have always been fun,” Connelly said. “Waking up super early and going to Squaw Creek for practices in the pitch black with deer all around you would get stressful sometimes, but it was a super cool memory. It’s super dope having a close team around you to do super hard things together.”
Connelly hasn’t committed to a college yet, but plans on doing what his brother did before.
“I haven’t decided where I’m going to college yet, but I do plan on doing a two-year mission trip for my church,” Connelly said.
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