We Will WINSday: Aaron Crittenden Was Motivated To Get Win


Aaron Crittenden used a little extra motivation last Thursday morning along with 110% effort and then some at the Midway Hewitt Kiwanis Invitational. That motivation resulted in him being able to come away with the win.

Crittendon finished in second place for two consecutive weeks behind Belton's Zach Dennison. In those two races, Crittendon raced smart and with pride, only to have the wins snatched away in the last 1K of the races by Dennison. He sealed the win by going 15:19.30 on the 3 mile course.

The Killeen Ellison junior prides himself on his kick and ability to finish. Last spring being a 800m specialist, he perfected his stride and ability to run under duress. That helped him run a 1:54.82 PR and get a third place finish at regionals narrowly missing a trip to the state meet.

The difference in the performances for Crittenden was the way he prepared, "last week, practice was rough, I wasn't really hitting my times. This week everything was going the right way, practice was excellent and I felt great waking up," he said.



"Coming into the summer, I knew what it felt like to think that you're going to do something and then not do it. I was a little disappointed, so I felt like I had something to prove. I want to prove that I can be more than just a track guy, that I can could run long distance."

Aaron Crittenden - Killeen Ellison junior


An extra motivation for the half-miler at heart was knowing he had a flat course to prance around. Previously, challenging hills interrupted his pacing and ability to match any pace that was thrown at him. According to Crittenden, "it (the course) definitely suited my ability; I just really got to open up, let my legs just go and it reminded me a lot of the 800."

Although the event he loves is in a different sport, Crittenden knows cross country is important to his track development and progression. He eats, sleeps, trains, and leads the cross country team just like he did in track season. This responsibility is showing in his performances, like it did last week. "At about the two mile mark I started to take my lead," he said.

The Ellison star wants to prove that there is more to him as a runner than just dazzling in the spring; he wants to be known as a complete runner and that includes his cross country accomplishments. He considers himself a hybrid type of runner, "my fitness is good enough to go 1:55-1:56 (right now), but I can hang in with those guys in a cross country race."

This win won't be the highlight of the season as Crittenden has more to prove this fall. That motivation and determination is what could have some cross country competitors and fans who don't know who he is yet, finding out really soon.

The fire and internal drive he is drawing from comes from a failure to reach his personal expectations. Not qualifying for the UIL 6A state meet in the 800m last spring has his mind right for cross country season.

"Coming into the summer, I knew what it felt like to think that you're going to do something and then not do it. I was a little disappointed, so I felt like I had something to prove. I want to prove that I can be more than just a track guy, that I can could run long distance."