Dawson approaches the finish line with sports

Senior Dawson Geiser is a member of the cross country, bowling and track and field teams.

Dawson said the first time he played sports was in kindergarten when he played baseball.

He said he enjoys fun practices and interacting with other students his age. Dawson added that he will miss being able to socialize with other athletes who play the same sports as him when he graduates.

His favorite sport is cross country, he added. Dawson said he has made the most memories on the Cross Country team and has bonded the most with his cross country teammates. Dawson said cross country has also been the most challenging sport. He explained that he struggled to get a varsity letter since freshman year but earned his first one senior year.

Dawson said his teammates have supported him throughout his high school career. He added that his teammates help coach him and vice versa.

According to Dawson, the hardest thing to overcome was pushing his physical and mental limits.

He said his greatest sports achievement was when he made it to bowling regionals in Lancaster his junior year and districts for pole vault in Williamsport in his junior year.

Dawson said his favorite sports memories were when he attended cross country camp in Farrandsville, Pa., and bowling regionals.

He said his coaches have helped him grow physically, mentally and spiritually. Dawson said his coaches have inspired him to teach others. “They dealt with my immaturity and gave me grace,” he added.

According to Dawson, his dad is his biggest supporter. “The amount of effort, money and time he has put into the sports I do speaks volumes for how much he cares,” he said. He added that his dad pushed him to play sports to obtain “self-discipline.”

Dawson said he has received multiple Black Panther awards from the school for being a district qualifier and a team spirit award from his cross country coaches.

The pep talks from his coaches before competition prepare him for what’s about to come, said Dawson.

Dawson said he would advise younger athletes to have patience. “The hard work out you do on day 10 of a sport won’t show up until day 30 or 40,” he added.

He added playing sports has created a good sense of discipline for him.

Senior Tanner Walter, who is on the Cross Country team with Dawson, said Dawson has improved as a leader. He added that Dawson has gotten faster at running. “He is the guy that the coaches can trust to make sure everyone in his group is getting their work done,” said Tanner.

According to Tanner, Dawson was the person who told him to run Cross Country. Tanner added that Dawson can make anyone laugh, even in high pressure situations.

Dawson said he plans to attend Bloomsburg University. He added that he will be majoring in Secondary Education Mathematics. He said he has decided to focus on becoming a teacher instead of playing college sports.