November 15, 2016

Pope Francis senior wins Western Mass. crown

REGIONAL
By Peggy Weber

(Photo courtesy of Pope Francis High School)

“It’s not true that nice guys finish last, because Tim Sears finished first,” said Dan Walsh, coach of the Pope Francis High School cross country team.

Tim won the Western Massachusetts Division II Boys Cross Country Championship on Nov. 13 at Stanley Park in Westfield. His winning time was 16:37 and was almost 30 seconds faster than the second-place finisher. The Pope Francis Cardinals finished third as a team and will compete in the state meet in Gardner, Mass. this weekend.

Walsh said that Tim has always had a personal goal of winning the Western Mass. crown but this year was different. “He grew up. He is so mature. That’s what put him over the top,” said Walsh in an interview with iObserve.

“It wasn’t just the training. He had the willpower. He remained calm through the whole process,” said Walsh.

“And Tim is a great role model for the team – not just as a runner. He is a straight A student and the younger runners look up to him,” said Walsh.

Tim worked hard to win the race. He told iObserve, “I hardly ever missed a day of running that was on the schedule. For me, the hardest days to run were never the days when the weather was really bad. During this summer, my schedule was packed and there were many days when I would get home very late and have two options: step up and run even though it’s late, or skip out on a run. It may seem as though skipping one 7 mile run in the summer won’t kill you, but it was those runs that made me mentally tough. I was very lucky to have neighbors Brendan Markey and Jordan Corriveau who I could call up at any time; and they’d be willing to run with me.”

He credits Brendan with helping him to win the DII title.

“I grew up with Brendan Markey and we were always good friends, however, a switch flipped in 2012 when we joined the cross country team. We were no longer good friends. We were brothers. I ran with Brendan for four years. In the beginning we were together, and with his ‘time to shine’ approaching faster than mine, he quickly pulled away. He showed me what it is like to be determined. Brendan set the same goal that I did. Every year we’d talk about winning Western Mass in back to back years. He went for it last year. He trained like an animal and gave it all he had. Although he didn’t get the result he was looking for, he did absolutely amazing and he set the bar so high for me the following year.

“After Western Mass last year we talked for hours about running and success, and life in general. After having such a powerful conversation, and after seeing how devastated he was, I knew that I needed to win for him. He ran with me all throughout the summer, and he counseled me day in and day out. He shared with me all the details behind why he didn’t win, and gave me all the pointers he had from winning in countless other races. I made a promise to him that I was going to win Western Mass, and he made a promise to me that he would be there to see it.

“He is truly incredible for spending his own money to fly down from Indiana for a high school sporting event. I knew that since he fulfilled his promise, I also had to fulfill mine. During the race I saw him around the two mile mark. When he saw the lead that I had, he went insane. He knew I was going to win, and it was truly a fairytale ending. I love that kid so much and I will cherish our friendship forever,” said Tim.

He also credits his coach. “After my first year of cross country I knew that Coach Walsh was the best coach I ever had, and ever will have. In my first four years I worked hard and listened to all that Coach had to say. In the past years I always tended to set unrealistic goals, and he’d always tell me whether or not I was going to get them. When I told him in the winter that I was going to do whatever I had to do to win Western Mass, he believed me. Coach Walsh did all the hard work, he was constantly answering my questions and telling me exactly how I should be training.

“Coach Walsh told me exactly what I had to do. All I had to do was run. Coach is not only my mentor in cross country, but he has helped me learn countless life lessons, and he has shown me how important goal setting is. I wrote down my goal in 2012, and I truly believe that that is why I was able to accomplish it. Coach Walsh and I have created an inseparable bond, and I can’t express how much appreciation and love I have for the guy.”

Brendan, when contacted at the University of Notre Dame, said, “I can’t even begin to express how proud I am of Tim Sears. It’s always amazing to see hard work pay off the way it did Sunday, and I can assure you nobody worked harder than Tim. I was lucky enough to grow up and run with Tim. We started running at the same time and for four years he was my go to running partner every single day. His determination was always impressive. I knew Tim was going to win Western Mass, because he set this goal after our first cross country season and worked towards it every day. Through the years Tim has been a great leader, a great friend, a great runner, and an all around amazing person. I love that kid. There’s nobody who deserved a championship more than he did.”

Tim is a senior at Pope Francis and a member of Holy Name Parish in Springfield. He is the son of Pat and Carolyn Sears. Pat is the co-founder of New Spirit Ministry and a leader of youth retreats in the Diocese of Springfield.

When asked how his faith influenced his efforts, Tim said, “My parents have been very influential in my faith. With my dad as a youth minister, and my mom as a very prayerful woman, prayer was always the base of everything. I always believed that it was very important to pray before and after any sporting event, because no matter what the outcome was, or will be, God is always with you. Before every single race, the team prays a Hail Mary. I can’t speak for the other guys, but every time we pray it you can feel the intensity. On Sunday my mom and I went to a special Mass that was specifically for mothers and sons.

“At first I was reluctant to go, but I felt as though I was being called to go. Throughout the whole Mass I was trying to think of anything but racing, but I could see my mom praying so hard. I knew those prayers were for me. We both prayed that God would allow me to finish this season strong. During the race I could not help but notice God’s grace. I felt so relaxed and I was truly appreciating the opportunity that God gave me. When I passed my parents going down the final stretch it was hard to keep my emotions in. They knew God had answered their prayers. We were all just so happy that things fell in to place the way they did.”