Athlete of the Week: Brian Ragone

The Out-of-Door Academy senior Brian Ragone kept his undefeated streak alive, finishing in 40.78 to win the 300-meter hurdles at The Out-of-Door Academy Invite March 23. Ragone also won the 110 hurdles (15.80) and helped lead the 400 and 1,600 relays to first-place finishes. Here is an inside look at this week’s Athlete of the Week.

What do you enjoy the most about hurdles?
You have to be so mechanically and technically sound. You have to be perfect; and I’m kind of a perfectionist, so it works to my advantage. It’s not all about speed. It’s about good form.

What’s the toughest part about hurdling?
The toughest part is not psyching yourself out. It’s not hard to get over the hurdles. You just have to jump high enough so you don’t clip them. It’s all about staying focused during a race.

What was your favorite cartoon show growing up?
“SpongeBob SquarePants.” There are an unlimited amount of episodes, which kept me entertained for hours.

Do you know what you want to be when you grow up?
I do not know what I want to be when I am older, but I do know that I would like to be involved in the financial field of no particular business.

Of the three sports you play, which is your favorite?
If I had to choose, it would be football, because it is the sport I have grown up playing. Although I enjoy the general nature of competition, which makes it hard to choose one sport over another.

What’s your favorite food?
Chicken piccata

What’s your favorite subject?
Physics. It is a class I feel comes naturally to me. I enjoy the problem-solving/thought-process aspect of physics, because it is different from any other class.

If you could play another sport for a day, what would it be?
Lacrosse. It is very similar to football, and it looks like there aren’t many rules, which always makes for a fun game.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
Teleportation. I’m tired of sitting in traffic.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
The Cayman Islands. I’ve heard the water is clear, and I’ve always wanted to swim in that type of water.