JEFF FIELDER Editor
MITCHELL – Caden Knutson, a senior at Mitchell High School, has been named Nspire Today!’s Male Athlete of the Week, sponsored by Kristy Culek Agency, LLC-American Family Insurance. Knutson capped his standout cross country career last month by placing eighth in the Nebraska Class C state cross country meet in Kearney. He was a four-time state meet qualifier, including also medaling his junior year with an 11th-place finish. He’s also a talented golfer. Other activities that Knutson participates in at school are National Honor Society and FBLA. He has a 4.0 GPA. Outside of school, he said he helps his parents with various community activities. After he graduates from high school, he plans to attend UNL and major in computer science. His parents are Sara and Ryan Knutson. For being named an Athlete of the Week, Knutson will receive a gift card for a free drink at Scooter’s Coffee.
Q: How did you feel about your performance at the state cross country meet last month?
KNUTSON: “I was really pleased with the results. I ran my fastest time ever, and being in the top 15 in the state is a cool feeling.”
Q: How did you feel going into state?
KNUTSON: “I was pretty confident, especially since I placed [in the top 15] at state last year and also because of how this season went. I felt good that day. I knew I could place high.”
Q: What went through your mind as you were running at state?
KNUTSON: “The thing that I kept telling myself was, ‘No matter how bad I feel, I need to push harder, knowing that all the other kids there were going to do the same thing.’”
Q: How would you describe the way your cross country season went overall?
KNUTSON: “Overall, the season went really good. I was pretty consistent in all of my races.”
Q: Just how much have you enjoyed participating in cross country over the years?
KNUTSON: “It’s by far my favorite sport – not necessarily because of the running but because of the atmosphere. The people involved in the sport are great people.”
Q: Talk about how the Mitchell boys team performed this season.
KNUTSON: “Our team didn’t do as well as we did the previous year. It’s the first time in nine years that we didn’t send a team to state. But it was still a fun season team-wise. It was fun hanging out together, and the bus rides were my favorite part.”
Q: What do you feel was your second-best race this season?
KNUTSON: “Western Conference in Sidney. I felt really good that day and got third place.”
Q: Even though your high school cross country career is over, do you plan to keep running after high school?
KNUTSON: “Yes, I think I’ll compete in the Monument Marathon next year. I want to keep running to stay in shape.”
Q: In addition to staying in shape, what’s another reason you really like to run, especially long distances?
KNUTSON: “Running kind of clears my mind.”
Q: Have you set some goals yet for the high school golf season next spring?
KNUTSON: “My biggest goal is that I hope we make it to state as a team. My sophomore year we lost by one stroke at districts to go to state. I think we’ll have a good chance to get to state this year because we’ll have a lot of good golfers on the team.”
Q: What is your personal goal for your last high school golf season?
KNUTSON: “I would like to qualify for state and shoot somewhere in the low 80s.”
Q: What got you interested in pursuing a computer science degree in college?
KNUTSON: “Me and my friends like to work with Photoshop, and my mom is a professional photographer, so she works with Photoshop as well. Also, I’m taking an intro to computer science class right now that is pretty interesting. There’s a lot of computer coding involved. I think I would enjoy doing that for a career.”
Q: Specifically, what do you see yourself doing 10 years from now?
KNUTSON: “I enjoy working on cars, so I would like to do electronic programming for new cars. I would like to design programs for new cars.”
Q: What kind of vehicle do you drive now?
KNUTSON: “I drive a 2011 Ram 1500.”
Q: Why do you want to go to UNL?
KNUTSON: “A lot of people in my family have gone there, and I like what they have to offer academic-wise. I also like the campus and Nebraska football.”
Q: So are you a big Husker fan?
KNUTSON: “Oh, yes. Everyone in our family are die-hard Husker fans.”
Q: You currently have a 4.0 GPA. How exciting is that to you?
KNUTSON: “I’m pretty excited about it. It’s nice to have. Colleges always look at your GPA so, hopefully, that will help me in the future. Getting good grades has always been a big thing in my house. We always push for good grades.”
Q: Going into high school, was one of your goals to maintain a 4.0?
KNUTSON: “Yes, my goal was definitely to maintain a 4.0.”
Q: What is your favorite class this year?
KNUTSON: “Physics. We do a lot of cool experiments in that class, and we get to build stuff.”
Q: During your educational career, which teacher do you feel has made the biggest influence on you?
KNUTSON: “Mrs. [Liliana] Rada. She’s my Spanish teacher. She always makes sure we’re doing good in class, and she’s interested in knowing how we’re doing in all of our activities. She always tells us ‘good job.’”
Q: Outside of your school activities, what do you like to do for fun?
KNUTSON: “I like to work on cars, even if they’re not my own. Also, we just got a new hot tub put in at my house, so that’s a lot of fun, too.”
Q: How much have you enjoyed living in Mitchell?
KNUTSON: “I’ve really enjoyed it. Everyone is really nice. Everyone always asks you how things are going.”
Q: What’s on your Christmas wish list?
KNUTSON: “I would like some parts for my car. For me, though, the best part of Christmas is just hanging out with family. We always play cards with my grandpa.”
Q: What’s your favorite holiday treat?
KNUTSON: “Probably my grandma’s cranberry cake.”
Q: What is one thing that you think most people don’t know about you?
KNUTSON: “I would say that I’m really family-oriented. That’s the most important thing to me.”
Q: If you could be president of the United States for a few months, what would you try to accomplish?
KNUTSON: “I would try to create more unity. I would also try to clean up the beaches and oceans because I’m a big water guy. I don’t like to see all the trash in the ocean.”
Q: Do you have any siblings?
KNUTSON: “Yes – Brock [a sophomore at Mitchell High School] and Halle [a sixth-grader in Mitchell].”
If you would like to nominate someone for Nspire Today!’s Athletes of the Week, sponsored by Kristy Culek Agency, LLC – American Family Insurance, you may do so by sending an email to jeff.fielder@nspiretoday.com or by mailing a letter to Nspire Today!, P.O. Box 454, Scottsbluff, NE 69363. Nominations may also be submitted by sending a text to 308-220-8865.
In addition to being recognized online, athletes of the week will also be recognized in Nspire Today! magazine. To sign up for a one-year subscription (12 issues) to the magazine, please send $15 to Nspire Today!, P.O. Box 454, Scottsbluff, NE 69363. To pay with a credit card, please call 308-220-8865.
For all your insurance needs, visit The Kristy Culek Agency, LLC-American Family Insurance, located at 1012 Ave. I in Scottsbluff, or call 308-632-8598.
