Photo credit to Nick Sacco

Nico Broussalian, above, runs one of his last cross country races.

A senior at Pleasant Valley, Nico Broussalian has been a vital member of the Pleasant Valley boys cross country team.

Broussalian has only been competing since his sophomore year. Despite being relatively new to the sport, Broussalian has been seen as a tremendous runner and team mate.

He stated his interest in running stemmed from the feeling he got after taking a long run. “I often found myself stressed out by school, relationships and family life. Nothing was necessarily wrong, but running was just a great way to clear my mind and help me relax. It was therapeutic,” he said.

Erik Belby, the head coach of the boys Pleasant Valley cross country team, stated, “Nico is a valuable member of our cross country team and he was voted by his teammates to win the Carl Schilling award. He did a great job leading the team and providing us with a source of inspiration.”

The Carl Schilling award is given out annually at the end of the season at the cross country banquet. Teammates voted based on who they saw as the most inspirational runner on the team. After discovering he was one of two recipients of this honor, Broussalian stated, “It was really special to receive that award.” He even joked that his motivational speeches must have been well received.

This was Broussalian’s last season with the team, and he has achieved tremendous goals throughout his cross country career. Broussalian commented he has seen significant increase with his level of fitness which he can carry into other sports that he participates in, such as soccer.  

Despite not being a varsity runner, Broussalian contributed a lot to the team. From giving his team inspirational pep talks before each race to providing entertainment on the team long runs, Broussalian is a true team player who pushed himself to reach his goals as well as others.

Broussalian’s best advice to future and present Pleasant Valley runners is “you don’t have to be good to start, but you have to start to be good.”