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    ammar moussa

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    andrewlin


    Posts : 35
    Join date : 2009-09-01

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    Post  andrewlin Tue Dec 08, 2009 5:44 pm

    Most people know junior Ammar Moussa only to be incredibly and superhumanly fast. Just last month, he placed first in his race at CIF Finals, first at State, and fourth at Nike Nationals. He broke the 15-minute three-mile barrier at State, a feat accomplished only twice in the last ten years. However, few others know much more about him.

    In fact, it is because of the brilliance of his achievements that few besides his teammates really understand who he is and the kind of character and work it takes to attain that level of skill.

    When asked what he felt like was the greatest aspect of Ammar’s attitude, Assistant Coach Alex Fan responded, “From day one with Ammar we saw that he was as competitive a person as you can find. We had never had a kid compete the way he does. Many of the kids on our team hadn't had much competitive athletic backgrounds before they joined cross country so it takes them a while longer to develop that tenacity that Ammar has. We have always said that with him, you better be a ton better than him if you want to beat him because he will outrace and out-grit anyone that is even close to his level.” Senior Patrick Wrobel agreed with Coach Fan, but added, “He is also a very intelligent racer. He doesn't front run. Instead, he waits until the moment he knows he can drop the opposition. At the state meet with 800 meters to go, he picked it up considerably and the other racer who had been challenging him all race fell behind.”

    However, the titan of cross country is not without fault, either. Coach Fan was quick to qualify his statement, saying, “We have seen that as Ammar cares more and more about the team aspect of running, he has become faster and faster as an individual. He knows that the faster he runs, the more it will help the team. He had a great leader to follow when Renaud Poizat was around and now he has to be that guy on the team that everyone else will follow.” In other words, as a leader, Ammar still has room to grow, and figures, like the legendary Renaud Poizat, a cross country alumnus currently attending UC Berkeley, to emulate. Ammar recognized his opportunity for leadership, when he reflected, “I think it helps that I have success in races, and I sometimes feel that gives the guys motivation to have their own individual successes.” Ammar had more to add in the way of areas he could improve when he sheepishly admitted, “I also try to be less cocky and not let rankings get to my head.”

    And then there is the question that all of us sedentary, future Rascal chair-using common folk ask: “Why run?” Upon being asked this question, Ammar paused, reflected, laughed, and said, “It's hard to really describe what motivates me, and I get this question a lot. I think the best answer is that I run to compete, push my body to new limits, and to prove others wrong.” Of course, he did not accomplish it all alone, and he couldn’t have done it without his family. “My family has been my rock,” Ammar said. “My mom is the one who makes sure I get all the good food. My brother and father are always at meets, cheering me on and being there for me even when I don't race my best.”
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    reginaliu


    Posts : 189
    Join date : 2009-09-03

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    Post  reginaliu Tue Dec 08, 2009 8:05 pm

    Most people know junior Ammar Moussa only to be incredibly and superhumanly fast. Just last month, he placed first in his race at CIF Finals, first at State, and fourth at Nike Nationals. He broke the 15-minute three-mile barrier at State, a feat accomplished only twice in the last ten years. However, few others know much more about him.

    In fact, it is because of the brilliance of his achievements that few besides his teammates really understand who he is and the kind of character and work it takes to attain that level of skill.

    When asked what he felt like was [feels like is] the greatest aspect of Ammar’s attitude, Assistant Coach Alex Fan responded, “From day one with Ammar we saw that he was as competitive a person as you can find. We had never had a kid compete the way he does. Many of the kids on our team hadn't had much competitive athletic backgrounds before they joined cross country so it takes [took] them a while longer to develop that tenacity that Ammar has. We have always said that with him, you better be a ton better than him if you want to beat him because he will outrace and out-grit anyone that is even close to his level.” Senior Patrick Wrobel agreed with Coach Fan, but added, “He is also a very intelligent racer. He doesn't front run. Instead, he waits until the moment he knows he can drop the opposition. At the state meet with 800 meters to go, he picked it up considerably and the other racer who had been challenging him all race fell behind.”

    However, the titan of cross country is not without fault, either. Coach Fan was quick to qualify his statement, saying, “We have seen that as Ammar cares more and more about the team aspect of running, he has become faster and faster as an individual. He knows that the faster he runs, the more it will help the team. He had a great leader to follow when Renaud Poizat was around and now he has to be that guy on the team that everyone else will follow.” In other words, as a leader, Ammar still has room to grow, and figures, like the legendary Renaud Poizat [following your first mention of a person you don't need to state their full name anymore], a cross country alumnus currently attending UC Berkeley, to emulate. Ammar recognized his opportunity for leadership, when he reflected, “I think it helps that I have success in races, and I sometimes feel that gives the guys motivation to have their own individual successes.” Ammar had more to add in the way of areas he could improve when he sheepishly admitted, “I also try to be less cocky and not let rankings get to my head.”

    And then there is the question that all of us sedentary, future Rascal chair-using common folk ask: “Why run?” Upon being asked this question, Ammar paused, reflected, laughed, and said, “It's hard to really describe what motivates me, and I get this question a lot. I think the best answer is that I run to compete, push my body to new limits, and to prove others wrong.” Of course, he did not accomplish it all alone, and he couldn’t have done it without his family. “My family has been my rock,” Ammar said. “My mom is the one who makes sure I get all the good food. My brother and father are always at meets, cheering me on and being there for me even when I don't race my best.”
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    andrewlin


    Posts : 35
    Join date : 2009-09-01

    ammar moussa Empty Re: ammar moussa

    Post  andrewlin Wed Dec 09, 2009 6:34 pm

    Last month, junior Ammar Moussa placed first at CIF Finals, first at State, and fourth at Nike Nationals. He broke the 15-minute three-mile barrier at State, with a finishing time of 14:59, a feat accomplished only twice in the last ten years. To place his award in context, it is worth mentioning that California is the most populous state, that California puts out the most competitive cross country runners out of all other states, and that 5 of the top 21 runners in the Nike Cross Nationals race were Californians. In short, finishing first at the state meet was no small achievement.
    Finishing fourth at Nike Cross Nationals was no small achievement either. The second Californian to cross the finish line, Ammar ran the race in 15:17, braving a true Oregon-style cross country course. Bales of hay were cleared, mud was torn through, and cows were avoided. Ammar blazed through the freezing, unforgiving Oregonian countryside and put up a valiant fight, but ultimately lost to first place winner Craig Lutz, a Texan.
    By those who know him, his sterling performance has been attributed to the amount of work he’s put in, his vast talent, and, most importantly, his attitude. When asked what he feels like is Ammar’s greatest strength, Assistant Coach Alex Fan responded, “From day one with Ammar we saw that he was as competitive a person as you could find. Many of the kids on our team hadn't had much competitive athletic backgrounds before they joined cross country so it took them a while longer to develop that tenacity that Ammar has. We have always said that with him, you better be a ton better than him if you want to beat him because he will outrace and out-grit anyone that is even close to his level.” Senior Patrick Wrobel agreed with Coach Fan, but added, “He’s also a very intelligent racer. He doesn't front run. Instead, he waits until the moment he knows he can drop the opposition. At the state meet with 800 meters to go, he picked it up considerably and the other racer who had been challenging him all race fell behind.”
    And then there is the question that all of us sedentary, future Rascal chair-using common folk ask: “Why run?” Upon being asked this question, Ammar paused, laughed, and said, “It's hard to really describe what motivates me, and I get this question a lot. I think the best answer is that I run to compete, push my body to new limits, and to prove others wrong.” Of course, he did not accomplish it all alone, and he couldn’t have done it without his family. “My family has been my rock,” Ammar said. “My mom is the one who makes sure I get all the good food. My brother and father are always at meets, cheering me on and being there for me even when I don't race my best.”

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