Although Ryan Stopka’s favorite sport is basketball, it’s cross country where he has made a name for himself. The Old Colony Vocational Technical High School’s fastest cross country runner since his sophomore year, Stopka wants to finish his senior year even faster.

“This year I’d like to get my 5K time under eighteen minutes,” said Stopka, a Rochester resident.

That will mean shaving 16 seconds off his personal best. Even if that goal proves difficult to attain, Stopka already has plenty to be proud of.

For the past two years, he’s been top ten in the league, and for the past three years, he has been on the Mayflower All-Star team.

That’s pretty good considering Stopka never intended to be a runner.

“A couple of my friends tried to get me to join the track team,” said Stopka. “I just did it to hang out with my friends, I guess.”

That was eighth grade. He’s since left those friends in the proverbial dust.

“It’s just me now,” he said.

Stopka, who is majoring in machine and tool technology at Old Colony and also plays basketball and lacrosse, said he’s looking forward to a good season.

Stopka said the school finally has enough girls to start their own team, and the boys numbers are up, too.

“We’re pretty good this year. Last year...a lot of people quit and we ended up with eight or nine,” he said. “This year we have 15, so we’re growing.”

This year, Stopkas’ performances show he’s keeping pace with his previous seasons. He taken first or second place at almost every meet.

That doesn’t surprise fellow athlete and senior Jake Pringle, who plays football.

“When you see him run at the beginning, it’s the same exact pace as the fifth or sixth mile when everybody else looks dead,” said Pringle. “The same facial expression, the same pace, everything like a robot. I wish I had the endurance this freaking kid has. I’m pretty sure he’s been the fastest runner since freshmen year.”

Not one to toot his own horn, Stopka calmly says, “Second best freshmen year.”