The Appel name is very familiar to Dakota Ridge’s Cross Country team. In May of 2009, Evan Appel graduated from Dakota, leaving his younger brother, Austin, running solo. Austin says, “Obviously, Evan was extremely important to our team. It was great having him to train with and always have that number one spot in every race.” Now that Evan Appel is running on Stanford’s Cross Country team, Austin is ready to run his team to victory this season.

Austin feels ready to leave Evan’s running days behind and start a legacy of his own. When asked about the pressure that he has received on being the younger Appel, Austin commented, “Honestly, there hasn’t been much pressure at all. Evan and I are very different runners and I know that. His success has motivated me to put in the extra miles and work hard to be among the best.”

Coming from a long line of athletes, Austin has been running with a team since he was in sixth grade. His grandfather ran in High School, and his father is a tri-athlete. The family history and Evan’s success have both influenced Austin’s running career. Austin is planning on running in college, “but I don’t know where I would like to go yet. It would be awesome if I could go to Stanford and continue running alongside my older brother.

It can be said that Dakota Ridge has one of the best Cross Country teams. The Dakota Ridge Boys Cross Country team won League last season. For this 2009 season Austin expresses his hopes for the team, “I hope every individual on the team enjoys their season, accomplishes what they want, and really loves the sports. As a team I believe both the guys and the girls can do well at state.” Austin’s personal goals for the season, “I would like to run a 15:35 for 5K and be top three at state. In the future, I hope for even faster times and maybe even a State title.”

“Many of my closest friends are also Cross Country athletes.  I love the sport and plan to be a runner for the rest of my life. Anytime I do well in a race, break a personal record, fight off the pain, or whatever, there is a great feeling of pride that comes along with it.” Keep a close eye on the Dakota Ridge Cross Country team this season - great things are sure to happen!