Meet Unionville cross country runner Aryan Abbaraju
KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. — At the end of 2022, Unionville High School (UHS) senior Aryan Abbaraju earned the title of Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year, as decided by the Daily Local News. Aryan, who finished in 1st place at the Ches-Mont Championship meet, came in 9th place at the PIAA 3A State Championship at the end of the fall season.
Aryan’s cross country running journey started in the 3rd grade when he participated in the STRIDE youth running program at Hillendale Elementary School. He showed innate talent, but admits that he didn’t put much effort into the sport until he reached high school.
As a freshman at UHS, Aryan ran well and made it all the way to the state championship meet, where he finished in 140th place. Two COVID seasons slowed his progress, but this year he focused on proper pacing and consistent effort. Both paid off, as represented by his 9th place finish at States this year.
“I ran this same course as a 9th grader, so it was special to see how far I had come,” Aryan says.
While it is Aryan who puts in the miles, he attributes much of his progress to his coach, Mark Lacianca. “Without a doubt, Coach Lacianca has been the biggest factor in getting me to where I am. My parents have also been really supportive.”
In addition to running cross country and winter/spring track, Aryan is a member of the UHS Speech and Debate Club, Robotics Club, and Future Business Leaders of America. In the fall, he will run for Cornell University, where he plans to major in computer science.
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