Aggies Land Distance Star Alex Riba

O'Fallon senior Alex Riba didn't mind the recruiting process. He just rolled with the punches and went along for the ride. Visits to schools across the country, lots of food, and meeting new people.  He visited Arkansas, Alabama, Auburn and Texas A&M. Recently, he reached out via social media and told the world that after thousands of miles ran, blood, sweat, tears and puke, he would continue his running career in College Station. He says it wasn't one factor that put the Aggies on top, but the complete package they had to offer.
 
"Coach McRaven is a really awesome guy that knows what he's doing. The guys on the team are all really cool. Coach Pat Henry is everything people make him out to be. Academically it's prestigious, especially for business which is my major. The community at A&M just felt like a really place to be a part of. I'm  looking forward to being part of a great team that will accomplish some great things while setting some good individual times along the way."
 
The Aggies who have built a powerhouse program over the years are getting one of Illinois' top distance runners in Riba. He placed second at the Illinois Cross Country Championships as a junior and finished  fourth in 2012, and went onto win the Nike Cross Nationals Midwest Regional.  Riba describes himself as a great listener who follows his coaches order and does not go into meets with a set race plan or strategy. Over his time at O'Fallon High School he says he has racked up a great deal of memories.
 
" I have so many great memories. From my first high school varsity race being at Detweiller Park and just getting caught up in the "biggness" of it all, to being blessed to have ran the state meet all four years. The first moment I broke 15 minutes, the time I got second at State and I still didn't believe I had done that until long after the race when it finally sunk in."
 
He will also remember the memories he has shared with teammates. Riba says he won't forget going from a team that hadn't finished higher than 13th, to a two-time consecutive trophy team. The standout has two major races in the next two months and both will require different preparations. This weekend he will run the 6k Junior Men's Race at the USA Cross Country Championships and then at the end of February fly out to Seattle for the Brooks PR Invitational. After that he says he can focus on an outdoor season in which he has some lofty goals.
 
"This year, I would like to be sub 8:50 in the 3200, sub 4:10, and 1:50 in the 800. I would like to re-break a few school records in the relays and get out first team trophy for track. "


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