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Name: Quintin Lowe
School: Batavia
Sport: Cross Country, senior
Why he was selected: Lowe captured the individual DuKane Conference cross country title with a 14:56.5 finish Oct. 15. Lowe, who was voted Athlete of the Week by voters, caught up with Chronicle sports reporter Jacob Bartelson to discuss his season and more.
Bartelson: You’ve talked previously about running through adversity. What have you faced this year?
Lowe: Personally, I have been through a lot this season. The day after my win at the Kane County Meet, our first meet of the year, I tested positive for COVID. It was very difficult for me because I wasn’t able to be there with the team for a period of time and I couldn’t even cheer them on at one of our meets. Because I have asthma, I had to take a couple of days off in order to build up my strength.
Bartelson: How did you work through that adversity?
Lowe: I knew I was capable of running with the top guys, but I couldn’t at the time because of my circumstances. Over time, though, my heath and fitness improved week after week and I was feeling better and better in my workouts. Now that I know my fitness is back where it was before I got sick, my confidence is also coming back to what it was during track season, which has helped me run a lot better the past few weeks.
Bartelson: What motivates you to be the successful runner you are?
Lowe: I am motivated by the constant desire to be the best runner I can be, which is being the top runner in the state and the top runner in my school’s history. Going back to middle school, I’ve had a history of coming in second place both in track and cross country. I’ve been so close, even 0.03 seconds away, but have never tasted victory individually. That is what motivates me to keep pushing to keep getting better. More importantly, though, I want to do it for the rest of my team.
Bartelson: How would you sum up your season overall with more still to come?
Lowe: I would sum up my season as a rocky road, going up a mountain. Ever since I got sick, I’ve had to fight and claw my way back to get in the same level as all the top runners in the state. It’s been an uphill battle, but I’m making progress on my way to the top. ... We’ve been counted out pretty much all year, but we’ve all used that as motivation to get better. And if we carry this motivation and determination into the postseason, I’m extremely excited for what we can do moving forward.