Athlete of the Week: Courtland Bernard

Courtland Bernard’s third-place finish at the Class 3A-Region 2 Regionals in Lecanto helped to secure the Sarasota High School boys cross-country team a spot at states this weekend in Dade City. Bernard is a junior and attends Sarasota Military Academy, however, he runs cross-country and track at Sarasota High School and is captain for both teams.

How did you get involved in running?
When I was younger, I tried a lot of sports and didn’t really like any of them. I heard about cross-country while living in South Carolina. I tried it and really liked it a lot. It’s funny, though, because there are no runners in the family. My mom thought it was humorous when I came home and told her I wanted to do cross-country. She said, “You don’t run!” But, it became my passion, and now she is my No. 1 fan.

What are the differences between cross country and track?
It’s tough. The main difference I find is that the cross-country courses are so different, and every week we are running something different — it can have a serious impact on how you run and your time. With track, it tends to be a little bit more intense with the shorter races because any mistake you make can be more detrimental. With track you have everyone’s eyes on you the whole time, so there is more pressure. But with cross-country, there are moments back in the woods where no one can see you and it’s quiet and you can think and clear your mind.

Do you have a favorite event?
The mile is my favorite because it’s what I am best at. What I like about the mile is it’s just long enough to be a distance race but short enough to be the kind of race for where people in the stands are on their feet.

If you weren’t a runner, what sport would you want to do?
Swimming — absolutely swimming. I’ve done a lot of swimming when I’ve been injured, so I’ve spent a lot of time in the pool. Also, I think endurance sports are so much more interesting.

What is the most important thing you’ve learned as a captain?
That sometimes you’ve got to keep the team in line and lead them to do the things they don’t want to do to achieve the goals they want to achieve. We are all dedicated, but at the same time, we are all high school boys, and we are crazy sometimes and lose focus.

What’s something most people don’t know about you?
The fact that my bedtime is the equivalent of a 7-year-old. After running, school, volunteering and working, I am usually in bed before 10 — 10 at the latest. Actually, last night I wasn’t feeling so great and I was in bed at 7:45.