Mateo Mendez
MALE
Mateo Mendez // Columbus North senior cross-country runner
Mendez finished 20th at the state finals to earn All-State honors and lead the Bull Dogs to a fourth-place team finish.
His performance last week: “It was a long process and took a lot of work to get here, but I’m proud of where I placed and how our team did.”
Do you do anything special to prepare? “I always eat spaghetti or pasta the night before and drink lots of water.”
Favorite drink: “Chocolate milk”
Favorite food: “Spaghetti and meatballs”
Favorite class: “AP Chemistry”
Favorite sports team: “Indiana University football”
Favorite athlete: “(IU basketball player) Trayce Jackson-Davis”
Role model: “My parents (Sal and Jodi Mendez). They influence my decisions and the things I do, and I want to thank my coaches, too, because they’re a big influence on how I race and how I prepare for my races.”
Best advice: “Keep work at hard at something. If you don’t think it’s going to go well, just keep persevering through hard times, and you’ll get through in the end.”
Athletics goal: “To run collegiately somewhere.”
If you could travel anywhere: “Probably Spain, just because I’ve never been out of the country before.”
FEMALE
Lily Baker // Columbus North senior cross-country runner
Lily Baker
Baker finished ninth in the state finals to earn All-State honors and help lead the Bull Dogs to a runner-up team finish.
Her performance last week: “I’m really happy with how I ran. I was hoping for a little bit better. I had goals set for myself, and I didn’t necessarily achieve them today, but I have zero complaints.”
Do you do anything special to prepare? “I eat the same dinner every single Friday night — Chicken Alfredo.”
Favorite drink: “Propel”
Favorite food: “Chocolate.”
Favorite class: “English.”
Favorite sports team: “Tennessee”
Favorite athlete: “Peyton Manning”
Role model: “My parents (Kris and Mandy Baker)”
Best advice: “My mom tells me to do the best I can with the ability that the Good Lord gave me.”
Athletics goal: “To break 2:10 in the 800 (meters in track).”
If you could travel anywhere: “Anywhere warm, so I can tan.”
