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12/12/2018 11:00 PMSeth Freeman tried out a few different sports while he was growing up, but by the time he got to high school, Seth knew that running was the one he was going to stick with. Seth’s fellow members of the H-K boys’ cross country team sure are happy that he made that decision.
Seth played lacrosse and competed for the wrestling team when he was in middle school. Meanwhile, he also started to get more serious about running during that time.
As a member of high school squad, Seth led the Cougars as a senior captain this season. Seth capped his career by solidifying a spot on the All-Shoreline Conference First Team for Haddam-Killingworth, which claimed its fifth straight conference crown and also went undefeated for the fifth year in a row.
“I started to see how serious the middle school cross country team was taken, and we ran at the middle school State Championships at Wickham Park. I also saw myself becoming faster,” Seth says. “[Head Coach Matt Diglio] has been my main influence, but it wouldn’t be possible for me without him and the whole team. We all trust Coach Diglio, put in the work, and see the results.”
Seth also runs indoor and outdoor track at Haddam-Killingworth. He says his proudest moment on the track came at the 2018 Shoreline Conference Indoor Championship, where Seth put the finishing touch on a first-place finish by H-K in the 1,600 sprint medley relay.
“That was a memorable race that we won to get All-Shoreline First Team,” says Seth. “I started out, and then I was close with this kid from Coginchaug. But I just remember [H-K indoor track Head Coach Dick Dupuis] telling me to just keep going, and I stuck it out.”
Seth says that nerves have become less and less of a factor for him through the years. As the jitters have faded, Seth has developed the strategy of maintaining a solid steam, before kicking on the afterburners during the final leg of a race.
“In my freshman and sophomore years, I would have butterflies in my stomach all day on race day, but then they went away when it started. But now, I take warmups into my own hands, and I’m more confident at the line,” Seth says. “At the start of the race, it’s important for me to get out to a good start and then settle in around a half-mile in and keep the pace. Once I’m at the 3K mark, I tell myself I’m over halfway done and to pick it up, and then give it my all in the final 400 meters.”
Coach Diglio notes how Seth has become a true student of the sport while running for the Cougars. Diglio adds that Seth also proved a quintessential leader as one of H-K’s captains.
“Seth has become very dedicated to the sport and has increased his knowledge as a runner. As a captain, Seth was everything a coach would want in a leader. He is respectful, polite, hard-working, inclusive, encouraging all of his teammates, and committed to continuing the [Haddam-Killingworth cross country] legacy,” Diglio says. “I am very appreciative of all that Seth has contributed to our program over the years and thankful for the time spent getting to know him as a truly outstanding young man who is going to go on and be successful in college and beyond.”
Seth admits there were some challenges that came with taking a leadership role for a team that graduated so many talented athletes from last year. However, when all eyes were on the Cougars during the postseason, they worked hard, dug deep, and came out No. 1 in the Shoreline Conference once again.
“Being captain this year was different, because we graduated six of our seven varsity runners from 2017 and moved up to Class M. I tried to help everyone keep their spirits up. We had sophomores and freshmen vying for varsity spots, so I tried to teach them our pre-race customs,” says Seth. “It’s been fantastic to be on a team this successful. We’ve never lost a meet or the Shoreline title since I’ve been here. With the target on our back, it’s nice knowing that we put in the hard work that other teams may not have put in, and it paid off.”