BRUNSWICK — Tyler Patterson’s final season of high school cross country abruptly ended when the state championship meet was canceled in the days leading up to the race.
But Patterson had good news Tuesday afternoon, as the Brunswick senior signed his National Letter of Intent to run for Division I Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Patterson signed his NLI at Brunswick High School.
The recruiting process was a little bit different this year than it normally would’ve been for Patterson.
“I couldn’t do any official visits, but I was just looking for a place that was a good fit where I could be successful academically and athletically,” Patterson said.
Patterson will be running in all three seasons for the Big Red. He already has ties to the school, as both of Patterson’s parents previously attended Cornell. While it’s nice to say he’s following in his parents footsteps, it wasn’t much of a factor in making the decision.
Tyler Patterson poses with his parents and Brunswick cross country head coaches Heather Hoisington, left, and Dan Dearing right, after signing his NLI to run at Cornell. Eli Canfield/Times Record
“It’s cool to have that connection, but I didn’t let it get in the way of making the best decision for me,” Patterson said.
Brunswick boys cross country coach Dan Dearing is excited to see how Patterson performs at the next level.
“I’m really proud of all of his accomplishments and I thank him for all that he has done for the program,” Dearing said. “We are all excited to watch him race at the next level.”
Patterson said he had narrowed down his list of schools to Dartmouth, Georgetown, and Division III Williams College. He was sure to give credit to his coaches and teammates who helped him along the way.
“I just want to thank my teammates, coaches, and parents for their help in this process,” Patterson said. “I wouldn’t be where I am without all of their support.”
Patterson is just a couple days removed from setting the Maine high school 5K outdoor record at a race in Portsmouth, New Hampshire this past Sunday in the New Hampshire Postal 5k. Patterson posted a time of 14:51.66, which smashed the standing record of 14:57.76 by Josef Holt-Andrews of Telstar back in 2013.
“There aren’t a ton of guys from Maine who run the 5k normally, but I will definitely take it,” Patterson said.
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