By John Paynter

For senior Ian Creech, athletics has been a lifelong endeavor at not only a high level of competition but a high level of passion as well. Ever since elementary school, Ian has made a presence on the court playing YMCA basketball.

Over the years, Creech developed a strong passion for the game as well as a burning desire for competition, where Creech says he flourishes.

“I’ve been playing basketball since the fifth grade,” said Creech. “I’d say [basketball] is my favorite sport.”

While basketball is his true passion, Creech took up cross country his freshman year at Reynolds, and, as he said, he flourished. Creech ran an 18:05 for the 5 Kilometer run as a freshman, which put him in the top five freshman in the county.

Naturally, Creech could not give up on the natural talent that he possessed running, so he took up both basketball and cross country at Reynolds for his freshman and sophomore year. Junior year, however, Creech decided to put his basketball career to the side and focus on his running year-round in not only cross country, but indoor and outdoor track, where Creech said he had the comparative advantage to basketball.

“Ian has put in consistent work throughout the years I have coached him,” cross country and track coach David Wainwright said. “He is an essential leader and a coachable athlete.”

While he is now a full time cross country and track athlete, Creech still dabbles in his basketball talents playing in different organizations around the community including his career in the local Hoops4Him league playing for Knollwood Baptist. On top of this, Creech also is involved with North Carolina Low Hoop Basketball Association, or NCLHBA.

“I still play a lot of basketball, even AAU ball,  but I stopped playing for Reynolds… I didn’t feel like my skills were being taken advantage of,” Creech said. “I am definitely a shooter.”

When on the track or on the court Creech is known to shoot his shot, as he hopes to qualify for the Outdoor State Track meet in the 1600 meter run and as a team in the 4×800 relay.

Furthermore, Creech plans to attend University of North Carolina Wilmington and wants to continue his running career at the Division 1 level.

“I am going to UNCW for sure,” said Creech. “I’d like to continue running competitively.”

As for basketball, Creech wishes to continue playing wherever he is able to, as he considers it to be his true sport. For Creech, sports has been a factor that has a shaped his life in a positive way and as he puts it, “there is no end in sight.”

Photo courtesy of Phil Ponder