On Saturday, May 2, the boys varsity track competed at the 4A Region 1 Championship at Seminole High School.
Out of the fifteen runners on the boys’ side, seniors Aiden Aysun, Brody Aysun, and Alexavier Davis-Medina will move on to the 4A State meet May 9 at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.
“My plan [for states] is the same as regionals; I want to compete for position and not worry about time too much,” B. Aysun said.
The distance-event side of boys track has been a united force since cross-country, where they placed 16th nation-wide with a team average of 15:17. They kept momentum into the track season, finishing as runner-ups at the Seminole Athletic Conference and champions for District 3 at East River.
“I finished better than expected [at regionals] and made it to states more comfortably than I thought I would,” B. Aysun said.
Aysun and his brothers took up running in elementary school and channeled the passion competitively in high school.
“My elementary school had a run club, which I joined and fell in love with the sport ever since,” B. Aysun said.
Both passion and dedication led the Aysun triplets to their commitment to run and study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Completing the trifecta is senior Colin Aysun, who went into the race with different preparation due to health concerns.
“I was confident in my abilities but scared for Colin. Although Colin is seeded second in the state for the two-mile and mile [races], I wasn’t sure how his sickness would affect his performance … I wasn’t expecting Colin to not qualify for states,” A. Aysun said.
With their final high school season coming to a close, the results were disheartening. Nonetheless, C. Aysun’s strong character helps him persists through race-day challenges.
“Some days you have it, some days you don’t, all you can do is just go with what your body gives you on the day,” Colin Aysun said.
The team isn’t new to hardship, however.
Senior Noah Mott ran the third leg of the 4*800 relay on Saturday. This was his last race of the season and his first year representing Oviedo after transferring from Hagerty.
“I wanted to join because the team did [well] and I wanted to be a part of a better team to reach better times,” Mott said.
Yet, just before the start of his final cross-country season, plans changed; he tackled an injury and ensuing surgery that cost him time off running for rehabilitation.
“I broke my knee, so it was hard to reach individual goals,” Mott said, “but once I got it rehabilitated and improved quickly, I got more motivation to keep going.”
As he departs from Oviedo, that motivation will transfer with him in his first year at the University of Florida. He advises current runners and newcomers to “be consistent,” a skill that proved worthwhile throughout the highs and lows of his running career.
