Edward Popa Nina has aspirations of being a carpenter. He likes to build things.

In many ways, Popa Nina has built his cross county career over the past four years. Beginning this week, the senior looked to take part in the final postseason meets of his career that began as a whim his freshman year.

“I started running then,” he recalled. “I remember when there were signups in eighth grade, and I just wanted to try it. Once I did, I knew I would enjoy it.

“I knew coach (head coach Kyle) Rusnock, and everyone was very welcoming.”

Popa Nina revealed that when he began running, he wasn’t worried about technique. It wasn’t until his junior year that he began to fine tune his efforts.

“In my first two years, I would just go out and run,” he noted. “Then I started to work on my breathing and my pacing. I began to figure out technique and all of the other things that go into becoming a better runner.

“It also helped me lower my times. I also gained confidence and realized what I could do.”

Popa Nina recently set his personal best in 20.43, and he hopes to run under 20 minutes over the next few weeks.

“That’s my goal right now,” he stated. “I think I can reach it. It is also conditioning and working on a good diet.”

Rusnock has watched Popa Nina develop over the years.

“Edward has been consistently running great this season,” said Rusnock. “He has been a hard worker over the years, and has evolved into one of our top runners. I am looking forward to Edward having another strong finish this postseason.”

Popa Nina has been inspired by his older brother, Isaed, ran cross country at Allen. His younger sister, Delanie, is a sophomore harrier with the Rough Riders.

He is a member of the Varsity C Club and plays the tenor saxophone in the varsity band, an activity he also began his freshman year. After graduation, he plans to either attend a community college or a trade school to pursue carpentry.

Over the next few weeks, he plans to put the final pieces together on a four-year career.