Northwest Herald Athlete of the Week: Hampshire’s Aidan Gonzalez

Hampshire senior Aidan Gonzalez finished fourth to lead the Whip-Purs boys cross country team to the Fox Valley Conference Meet team title on Oct. 16, the first conference championship in program history.

The Whips won the title by a slim margin, only three points ahead of runner-up Jacobs. Sebastian Abreu placed ninth in the race for Hampshire, followed by Owen Cuplin (12th), Jason Schmidt (15th) and Henry Nangle (19th).

[ High school cross country: Crystal Lake Central’s Hadley Ferrero, Burlington Central’s Yusuf Baig take FVC titles ]

For leading the Whips to their first FVC Meet championship, Gonzalez was voted the Northwest Herald Athlete of the Week by readers. He recently talked to sports writer Alex Kantecki about winning the big race, what he does in his free time, his most prized possession and more.

What did it mean to you and your teammates to win the FVC Invite?

Gonzalez: Winning conference was an amazing feeling. It’s something we’ve been working for all season. Nobody ever really refers to Hampshire as a team to watch, so we wanted to change that and make ourselves a force to be reckoned with. Everyone thanked me for leading the team to victory but I couldn’t have asked for a more hardworking and deserving group of guys to compete and train with everyday. We are all equally responsible for this conference title.

If you could hop into a time machine and watch any sporting event, which one would you go see?

Gonzalez: This is a tough one. First, I’d have to say go back to the ‘80s when the Bears won the Super Bowl, so I can finally see them succeed. I’d also want to watch Michael Jordan hit the dagger against the Utah Jazz in Game 6, and also see Scottie Pippen posterize Patrick Ewing. I just know I would have gone crazy. Something else I’d love to see is Dale Earnhardt winning the Daytona 500. I’m a huge NASCAR fan and I would have loved to watch him drive.

If you could train with any coach or runner for a week, who would it be?

Gonzalez: I would train with BYU’s Conner Mantz. He is a really tough runner and also is a great guy, so I would love to hang with him and see what he does for training to get that grit and toughness.

What are your best memories of this season so far?

Gonzalez: The best memory of this season is without a doubt winning conference. However, another great memory was from the Sterling Invite when the whole varsity team cheered on one of our freshmen runners to a huge PR of 18:00. We were with him every step of the way and it was fun to see him test his own limits. Also, warmups with the guys are hilarious. We are always cracking jokes and we all know how to make each other laugh.

What is your favorite pre-race meal?

Gonzalez: My favorite pre-race meal is my mom’s egg sandwich. It’s nothing fancy, but she always gets up super early and makes it for me, so I really appreciate that. It has to be made by her, though, or I may not run that fast.

What do you do when you’re relaxing at home?

Gonzalez: You can catch me watching Duck Dynasty, listening to music or watching fly fishing videos on YouTube.

What sport that you don’t compete in would you be good at?

Gonzalez: Definitely basketball. I played all the way up until high school. I had a lethal jumper and some pretty good footwork in the post.

What is one of your biggest pet peeves?

Gonzalez: These are completely different, but I’d have to say when I wash my truck and it rains the next day or when someone puts LeBron James ahead of Michael Jordan in the GOAT (”Greatest of All-Time”) conversation.

What is your most prized possession?

Gonzalez: It would have to be my truck. It was my great grandpa’s before he passed away, and I’m proud to say that I can continue driving it and keep it looking as good as new.

What are three of your favorite movies?

Gonzalez: My three favorite movies are “Talladega Nights,” “Rocky 4,” and “Grown Ups.”

What celebrity would you most like to hang with for a day?

Gonzalez: Probably Thomas Rhett. He’s a really cool person, and he also fly fishes. I would love to spend the day on the water with him catching fish and talking about music.