Jonah Norwitt: Remarkable Runner
JR Stauff ’19 Assistant Sports Editor
Jonah Norwitt ’18, a captain of the 2017 boys cross country team, has been running at Hopkins since 9th grade and a three-season runner since his sophomore year. Norwitt gained experience as both a runner and a leader, and this experience helped him achieve a rare feat of Hopkins runners, being captain for all three running seasons as a senior.
Additionally, he has been the captain of cross country for two years. Head coach of cross country Miguel Pizarro justifies Jonah achieving this accomplishment, “Getting elected captain as a sophomore is a fairly rare thing, but it makes sense that Jonah earned that level of respect from his teammates that early. He loves running, and running fast, and improving, and this all comes through very clearly in his interactions with his coaches and teammates. He is cheerful and friendly, and even the youngest, shyest runners feel comfortable approaching him.”
Norwitt’s running career started randomly, when he and his friends decided to join the cross country team in his middle school. He quickly grew to love running and cross country. When he arrived at Hopkins, his skills improved and his passion grew exponentially. Co-captain of cross country Liam Day ’18 reflects on their years running together, “He’s been running varsity for four years, been a captain for two, and he’s still the same quiet kid I met on the first day of preseason in 2014. And something I’ve learned about him is that while he’s a reserved individual, he’s incredibly passionate.”
As a captain for the past two years, Norwitt is an experienced leader for the team, contributing to its overall success. Cross country coach Julia Rowny describes his leadership, “Jonah leads by example-- he clearly loves running and wants the team to share that enthusiasm. Not only does he work hard to improve his own running, but he also encourages his teammates to work as hard as they can….He strikes me as a kind and friendly leader to his teammates.” Although Norwitt leaves great impressions on his teammates, he is a humble leader. Norwitt reflects on himself: “I would rate myself eight Brunswick runners out of ten FAA competitors...so an eight out of ten.”
For four years Norwitt has contributed immensely to the team as a member of the varsity squad, improving every year. Along with teammate Nic Burtson ’20, Norwitt burns the competition in both FAA and invitational meets. Cross country and track coach Tilden Daniels praises Norwitt’s growth and dominance as a runner, “Jonah has become a faster runner by continuing to work hard. His confidence has grown along with his understanding of race strategy. The combination of greater fitness and better strategy makes him one of the top runners in the FAA.”
In his final season running cross country for Hopkins, Norwitt is striving to beat his 5K personal best of 17 minutes and 20 seconds. Additionally, he hopes the varsity team will be able to defeat their rival, Brunswick, at the FAA championships. Norwitt is unsure about whether he will do cross country in college, but hopes to continue his running in the future.
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