Ava Biemuller

FTHS junior Ava Biemuller was one of the three female athletes of the month for September and October, and she is a crucial piece of our outstanding girl’s cross-country team. Now a leader on this relatively young team, she sat down with interviewer Jenna Volpe to discuss both her individual and team success up to this point.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Hi Ava! Congrats on an amazing season!

– Thank you, and thank you so much for having me!

Of course! Alright, let’s get started. Now that it is your third season with the team, what do you like the most about cross country?

– I really like the culture, the community within it, and really just my team in general. They’re so goofy and it’s so much fun. Both the running aspect of the sport and interacting with one another is just awesome.

When did you start cross country? When you did start, did you know that you would like it so much in the future?

– I started cross country in second grade. When I started, it carried on to high school, because I loved it so much. I’m hoping to run in college, as well.

Well on that note, do you have any idea what college you want to go to?

– My dream college is Villanova University, because they have a great blend of academics and athletics. I also know that my goal for cross country is definitely to go D1.

Awesome! I’ve noticed that many of our student-athletes have also looked to Villanova. Let’s bring things back to the high school level. What are some of your best memories from cross-country?

– I would say that winning groups and then winning sectionals are my favorite memories up to this point. I would say that these are my favorite memories because we didn’t really know if they were going to announce us as winners, so when they did, it was really exciting.

Being that you are a phenomenal runner here at Township, do you run outside of school?

– I used to do many charity runs, but it got kind of hard because of the high school schedule. I would definitely love to continue running for charitable causes once I have the time.

Are there any pre-meet rituals that you do for good luck?

– I always tie my spikes basically a hundred times. I need to make sure that they’re tight and they’re secure.  If I pull the laces and they come untied then I have to do it again and I use all my might. It’s just a habit that I’ve always done.

That’s not that superstitious, compared to your teammate Emma’s “potion.” Anyways, what do you like to do in your offseason?

– Of course, I love to hang out with my team because they are my best friends and I also like to study and focus on academics.

Staying on the academic talk, what’s your favorite school subject and why?

– I would say I like math the most because for math there’s only one correct answer. Also, after you the problem and how to bind the equations, it’s so straightforward.

Do you have like a specific type of music that you like to listen to?

– I like all genres, so I guess I don’t really don’t have a favorite. It really just depends on my emotion and whatever mood I am in.

Let’s say you are trying to get hyped before a big race. Do you have any pregame songs that get you pumped?

– For me, that song is Mo Bamba by Sheck Wes. My friends make fun of me for it.

Being that nutrition is such a crucial part of running and conditioning, do you have a pregame snack or meal that you lean to before a meet?

– Fruit snacks or a granola bar. I don’t eat much before my meets because it wouldn’t sit well, so I usually just try to eat a small and nutritious snack.

Do you run a lot in your free time?

– My free time basically is running.  During the summer, the team has practice in the morning at 7 AM, that way we stay ready for the season up ahead. During the season, I don’t really get that much free time because after school I go right to practice, then I go home and have to do all my homework.

Alright, we’re almost done here. To wrap things up, do you have a person who inspires you to run cross country?

– I wouldn’t say I have a specific person, but I feel like my team inspires me. They make me wanna work harder and I want to make them happy. I really just enjoy those moments, especially the ones with the trophies and the medals. Also, my coach runs a lot of marathons – I wish I could do that! Like, I wish I could do that! But, I know that if I put in the work and effort,  I can work my way up to that.

That’s amazing, Ava. We’re all done here, so I’ll say good luck next season, and again, thank you so much for your time!