October has been an amazing month for BC High Athletics, but one athlete stood out. Shamus Larnard ‘25. Shamus is a cross country and track runner with an outstanding amount of skill. This month alone, he has claimed the Ocean State Invitational, the MSTCA relays, first place at the Catholic Conference Championship, and won both dual meets against Catholic Memorial and Saint John’s Prep.

He started his cross country journey during his freshman year as a way to make new friends and to try a new and different sport. Also, his brother Chris Larnard ‘24, was on the Varsity team at the time and he convinced him to join.

Shamus now runs for BC High on the Varsity XC team and states that his success came from his “Proper sleep, nutrition, and hydration” and his “Consistent training that stems back to the beginning of the summer.” These practices, which may seem fundamental, help him excel in his sport, achieving records and dominating competitions. 

Many students at BC High wonder how to properly balance academics, sports, and friends and family. It seems Shamus has almost perfected this routine and has perfectly balanced his school life with his personal life. Some practices he says help him achieve great things are, “Using my hour-long commute in and out of school as a time to do homework.” which helps him by, “Getting to bed early and recover from training.”

Another reason for Shamus’ success is his unworldly discipline. As Shamus states, the main reason that keeps him disciplined is his “Hope of a team state title,” and how, “Every time that I feel like slacking, I remind myself that I’m competing for something bigger than me.” Lastly, another reason that keeps him disciplined is that,  “Running is something that I enjoy, so I view it more as a fun activity, rather than something I dread.”

In conclusion, Shamus Larnard ‘25, is a perfect model of a BC High athlete. This is due to the way he balances his academics and sports, his unfathomable discipline, and his ability to stay consistent and to follow strict self-made guidelines to assure health and power to fuel his sports career. Shamus is undoubtedly worthy of the Athlete of the Month title.