Good day, one and all. My name is Zach Ripley. I run for Cornerstone University and am majoring in English Secondary Education with a History minor. I am often told that we are defined by what we do, and as runners, we are defined by the time we put on that clock. I believe that those numbers are only a fickle representation of what we may be capable of. A good friend of mine once asked me what I would remember when this was all over. He showed me that the most important part of what we do is not the time we post on the clock, but the pain we pushed through, the blood, sweat and tears, to achieve that one victory that will forever define our careers. Anyone can say that, but it comes especially meaningful from a national champion.