Athlete Profile: Demetrius Kaquatosh

SHAWANO — Every cross-country runner hopes to be putting up their best times of the season as the season winds down. Shawano’s Demetrius Kaquatosh is doing just that as his high school career winds down.

Kaquatosh won the Bay Conference Meet on Oct. 17, helping the boys team finish second.

The senior finished fourth in the small division at the Seymour Invitational on Oct. 10, leading the team to a fourth-place finish.

Kaquatosh and the Shawano cross-country teams will compete in the Division 2 Tomahawk Sectional at Edgewater Country Club, hoping to qualify for the state meet.

“Demetrius from the start of the season had a goal to go out and be the best he can possibly be,” said Shawano coach Steve Stomberg. “Demetrius has the abilities and talents that compliment his determination and efforts to get him in the position he is today to lead our team. Demetrius has a contagious smile that carries throughout our team and is always motivating team members to achieve their best. Winning the Bay Conference Meet gave Demetrius the confidence to go out and finish the season the best he possibly can.”

Q: When did your interest in cross-country begin?

A: My interest in cross-country began when I was a freshman. My dad (Mario) told me that it would be a great idea if I went out and ran to get in shape for basketball season, and that’s really where my love for the sport began.

Q: What is your favorite part about the cross-country season?

A: My favorite part of the season is conference week, because it’s a big build up into the meet that the team, and I have been working so hard for all season and going out there to give it all we got is the best part of the season

Q: You won the Bay Conference title on Oct. 17. Now that you’ve had some time to reflect on that, just what does that finish mean to you as a senior?

A: It means everything because all through my high school career, the Shawano boys team has taken second every year and I wanted to change that. We may have taken second as a team, but winning it as an individual felt just as good.

Q: You’ve turned in several strong finishes over the past couple of weeks. What’s allowed you to be so successful lately?

A: Just being out there with my team gives me another level of confidence so every meet we have I just want the team to be at its best so I push myself every race to do my best for the team

Q: Now you are gearing up for sectionals and hoping to make it to state. What is it going to take to continue your recent success and have a great run at sectionals?

A: Just being mentally prepared for the race and having everything going right for me. If I feel good that day, I hope to have a sub-16-minute race and continue to be better.

Q: What has been your favorite memory from your time on the Shawano cross-country team?

A: There really is no favorite memory that sticks out for me, but overall, being with the team has been a real highlight for me. Everything has been unforgettable.

Q: What are you going to miss most about high school cross-country?

A: What I’m going to miss the most is that 15 seconds before the (starting) gun goes where there is so much anxiety built up in everybody around you, and when that gun goes off, everything you feel is just let go. That’s what I will miss most.

Q: Favorite TV shows, movies, and musical artists?

A: My favorite TV show would be “All American.” Favorite movie is “Run the Race.” A musical artist is a small rapper named Felix Wood

Q: Name one thing about yourself that not many people know.

A: One thing about me people may not know is that I really love traveling. It doesn’t matter where or how far, just seeing new things is an amazing feeling.

Q: What’s the greatest piece of advice you have ever been told?

A: One of the greatest pieces of advice is “you’re already there so why not do it” — Alan Tomow (Shawano coach).

Q: What are some things you hope to accomplish after graduating from high school?

A: One thing I hope to accomplish is running in the 2024 Olympics because it’s been a dream for me since I really started to enjoy running.

AT A GLANCE

Athlete: Demetrius Kaquatosh

Sport: Cross-Country

School: Shawano Community High School

Year: Senior