Preps

Cross country: Hock shapes Panthers

By JOE SMITH
Published November 4, 2007

TAMPA - To break the monotony of long runs, Plant senior Duncan Hock talks religion with teammates.

Or the theories of John Locke. Or his favorite Dali Lama quote.

Hock, like several other Panthers, has been shaped by the school's philosophy club, which has them discussing Buddhism on Bayshore, and the meaning of life at Lake Rogers Park. The team is close - both in chemistry and 5K times - but when a Christian debates an atheist, anything can happen.

"We all like each other and are good friends, but we definitely don't agree on some stuff," Hock said. "It makes it more interesting with friendly disagreements. It's not like it gets heated or anything."

The Panthers are one of the county's hottest teams, following up an eye-opening, second-place finish at the county championships just four points behind state power Jesuit with a dominating district championship victory Thursday at Lake Park. It was Hock who pushed the tempo, changing the complexion of the race while shattering his personal best by 22 seconds.

But with the Panthers top five - including Trenor Wilkins, Jordan Bass, Ross Campbell and Hanley Gibbons - all under 17:04, Hock feels they're state contenders.

"We feel like we're a little under the radar," Hock said. "We're so close to Jesuit all the time, so it's sort of easy to get overlooked. But we definitely feel like we're gonna be in the hunt."

The Panthers' quest for state started this summer, when former longtime Jesuit coach Mike Boza surprised the team by taking over the program. Boza, who built the Tigers dynasty over the past decade, had the Panthers complete more long runs, building a base (and battleground for debates).

"Sometimes, they'll get done with a run and ask me to settle their arguments," Boza said with a chuckle. "I don't know if I have all the answers, though."

Hock didn't know his freshman year that he'd even run cross country. An avid tennis player all through middle school, Hock was encouraged by his parents to pick a second sport. Hock chose running, and after breaking 20 minutes his freshman year, he was hooked.

The same thing went for his philosophy fetish. It started as a curiosity, but now it's become a passion. Inspired by his favorite Dali Lama quote, Hock said he hopes to eventually join the Doctors Without Borders program, where doctors go to impoverished countries to offer medical treatment.

"Dali Lama says that, 'Love, compassion and concern for others are real sources of happiness,'" Hock said. "I just want to help people out."

[Last modified November 4, 2007, 00:33:08]