Somehow, Gavin Cunningham wanted to leave his legacy at Catasauqua.

He just couldn’t figure out what to do.

He didn’t mind running, so Cunningham decided to join the Rough Riders cross country team four years ago.

This past fall, Cunningham helped pace the boys unit for the Roughies. He was among their top finishers, posting a best 21:10 in the early going. And he was the top boys finisher for Catty at the Colonial League meet.

“I wanted to get into something,” said Cunningham. “I played baseball when I was younger. I never thought about running long distances, but I knew I could run a mile.

“It was a little rough in the beginning trying to cover the three miles.”

From there, it was all about persevering.

“I would just try and zone out,” said Cunningham about his preparation in his beginning stages. “I worked to get a runner’s high, and that really helped. Once I felt that, I knew I could keep on going to run pretty consistently.

“I was running in the low 30s and high 20s, but I didn’t give up. I just had to keep working at it.”

Cunningham was convinced he would continue to lower his times. He began to see the big picture behind running.

“I kept working and staying focused,” he stated. “But running is really more mental than physical. I finally knew my body could do it, and I just had to keep pushing myself. Through it all, I gained more confidence.”

Head coach Kyle Rusnock played a big part in Cunningham’s success.

“He’s the reason I kept coming back,” stressed Cunningham. “Coach always would be talking to me and trying to open me up. He really has played a huge role in making me a runner today.”

Rusnock has seen the difference.

“Gavin has been one of our best runners all season so far,” said Rusnock. “He has made tremendous strides. He has not only become a great runner, but he has become a great leader as well.”

Cunningham hasn’t decided on a four-year college as of this writing. He also has entertained the thought of joining the Air Force. Cunningham would like to pursue a career in cyber security.

“I still don’t know what way I’m leaning,” he said recently. “But I am proud that I did a sport for four years, stayed with my academics and held a job. I would like to finish strong this season.”

Cunningham did manage to make the most of his four years.