Karr leads Trojans to big win

Carson Karr led the Oak Ridge varsity boys' cross country team to a first-place finish in the first Sierra Foothill League meet last Wednesday. The performance of the entire boys' team, in fact, had long-time Oak Ridge cross country coach Rob Fairley calling it the team's best effort since 2011. For Karr, a senior, he also placed first in the 5-kilometer race in 16 minutes, 21 seconds and Fairley call it a "breakthrough performance, as it was a 51-second personal-best record. "Carson has been incredibly consistent with his training and he is definitely seeing the benefits of it," Fairley said. "Carson has a tremendous attitude and is highly focused on achieving high levels of performances at his meets this season. He is a fantastic role model for our younger athletes. Carson's strong work ethic is spreading throughout the team which is helping our team get stronger each week." Folsom Telegraph: What are your hopes/plans for after graduation? CK: My hopes and plans are to attend a four-year University to study Pre-Med and compete in both XC and track. FT: Do sports run in your family? CK: Yes, both of my parents ran track in high school. FT: Have you ever played any other sports? CK: Yes, I played competitive soccer from ages 8-15. FT: What do you enjoy about cross country? CK: I enjoy challenging myself both physically and mentally, as well as pushing myself to my limits. FT: How do you feel about your first league meet last Wednesday at Sunset Whitney Recreational Area? You won the race in 16 minutes, 21 seconds. CK: I felt good about it. My plan was to focus on the overall time and pace per mile. FT: Did you think you could win it? What time were you shooting for? CK: Going into the race I was very confident that I could compete from the front while pushing the pace over the entire course. This worked well resulting in my win. I was shooting for a sub-16 time. FT: Did you like the course? It was the first time the league ran on it. CK: So far this is one of my favorite courses that I have run this season. I thought there was a perfect amount of hills, downhills, and flats. FT: How are you feeling about this season? What are your goals? CK: I think that this year got off to a great start and I am excited to see what I can do later this season. Some of my goals are to podium at the section meet, have our team qualify for state, and to run sub 15:30 on the Woodward Park course. FT: What is your favorite subject or class in school? CK: My favorite subject is math. FT: Do you have a favorite genre of music or a favorite singer/group/rapper? CK: Rap, Kanye West. FT: Favorite food? CK: In-N-Out cheeseburger. FT: Do you have any pets? Tell us about them. CK: Yes, I have one dog named Marley. She is a 7-year old German shepherd and Cattle Dog mix. FT: Do you have any hobbies? What do you like to do in your free time? CK: Some of my hobbies are fishing, video games, watching movies, and listening to music. In my free time, I like to get out of the house and hang out with my friends. FT: What inspires you in sports? CK: I like to see myself grow over the years and the progression in my times. FT: What job or profession do you hope to have some day? CK: I hope to work in the medical field as a radiologist.