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Wellesley Townsman Athlete of the Week: Christian Freniere

Admin Deland Gibson Leave a Comment

Posted May. 9, 2014
WELLESLEY

june

Christian Freniere had left everyone in the dust and had the race all but won.

But about 20 feet from the finish line he fell to the ground. Freniere could have called it quits after that, but he didn’t. He got back up, finished the 400-meter race he was running against Walpole on April 9th, and proceeded to put his teammates on his back.

“I think one of the main reasons I chose Christian (as Athlete of the Week) is because of that incident,” said Wellesley High boys outdoor track coach Larry Corda. “He got back up and completed the race. But even more impressive is the fact he then ran a leg of the 4×400 and helped us win the meet.”

His determination in the meet against the Rebels is a perfect example of the ferocious competitor Freniere has become. The senior knows the physical demands in track, and it often involves a lot of pain.

“Track is a pick yourself up and work through the pain sport,” said Freniere. “You have to go in knowing that what you’re about to do will redefine the meaning of pain, and that it will in no way be fun until you cross that finish line.

“It’s not like the ball sports where you can feel good during a lacrosse or basketball game, it is really about how bad you can make it hurt. The single most important trait, regardless of ability, is pain tolerance and a strong work ethic.”
What makes track difficult is also what makes it fun for Freniere.

“I love competing against other runners and knowing that they have to work every bit as hard as I do to beat me,” Freniere said. “I really love running as a part of the 4×800 [meter relay] team, as running for a group of guys who I love and love me is always special. I love winning meets as a team for Wellesley, as that’s what it really comes down to.”

Freniere has helped the Raiders do just that this season, propelling them to a 4-1 overall record and in the hunt for the Bay State Conference Herget Division championship. Individually, he has qualified for the All-State meet in the 800 and as part of the 4×800 relay.

“I’ve been pretty happy with the way I’ve been running this year,” said Freniere. “Until indoor track this year, I was a pretty mediocre runner, but I’ve gotten a lot better and now consider myself one of the elite runners in the state.”

He has the numbers to back it up too. Freniere’s time in the 800 places him sixth in Division 2. He came in third place in the 1000 during the indoor season at the Bay State Conference Championship with a time of 2:41.68. In the Division 2 State Championship meet during the winter, he came in 10th in the 1000, finishing in 2:39.76.

This was reposted with the permission of The Wellesley Townsman.

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