Check out this resume:

* Passionate about art and science fiction.

* A quiet young man who avoids the limelight.

* Leads through example based in determination and grit.

This list may not describe the typical star athlete, but it does describe senior Vince Turner, who is co-captain of the track team.

Since Turner, also a top cross country runner, was in the third grade at Notre Dame Academy, he has loved to run.

Of his decision to start running, Vince said, “It was the only sport that I felt I could excel at.”

Despite his love of running, Vince’s track career started out on a slow note; he did not move to varsity until his junior year.

As Vince grew in skill on the course, he grew more comfortable in general. “When I first started running, I was a complete and total introvert,” he said.

This lasted until near the end of his sophomore year, when something changed in Vince. According to teammate and co-captain Evan Lang, “As a freshman, Vince was really not even that good, and then he just came out of nowhere.”

Vince said he began to feel the element of brotherhood and camaraderie within the team, and that’s what drove him on. 

He said, “I got to know everyone better, and then I started realizing how much everyone relies on me. That is probably where most of my determination comes in —  because I don’t want to let them down.”

Vince’s determination and grit is undoubtedly his greatest asset. Lang said, “Vince just has this insane drive, like if he doesn’t want to do something or if he’s not into it, he’ll still do well. But if Vince is completely into it, there’s no stopping him. You’re not going to get in his way.”

Part of what makes Vince such a great captain is this determination. Other people see this in him and look up to him for it.

Track coach and teacher Scott Holzknecht is one of those people.

“He’s a reluctant leader,” Holzknecht said. “I tell him he’s a leader all the time, and he kind of gets a discouraged look on his face. I don’t think he sees himself as such. I think, to him, it seems almost like a burden to have people looking up to him. I think that makes him more genuine. You can tell he’s not really in it for the limelight or attention. He really just likes to run fast, and he likes his teammates and wants everybody to do well.”

Lang agreed, noting Vince’s personality as a factor in his leadership. He said, “Vince is not necessarily a vocal leader, but he kind of brings the fun to the team, to be honest. He’s kind of just this goofy guy, and he just makes everyone laugh.”

Not only is Vince a top runner, finishing sixth in the state in cross country this year, he is also an artist.

He said, “Recently, like four to five months ago, I started doing art again on my own. I got a sketch book, and I sketch in it daily now.”

As he does with track, Vince puts his full effort into his art. He said, “Once I set my mind to a specific project and fully dedicate myself to it, I will complete it no matter what.”

An example of Vince’s determination applies to a clay project that was ruined.

“I don’t know if it was from me or someone else’s project,” he said. “I was really disheartened about it, but I decided to remake it. But I couldn’t remake it for the class because I had to move on, so I brought material home from school to work on it.”

Holzknecht noted that Vince has really changed over the past few years. He said, “First as a human, he’s really turned into a true Renaissance man. He’s a good athlete, he’s a great student, and he’s an artist. He’s interested in all kinds of stuff.”

The track season has just gotten under way, and Vince has his goals set for the year, number one being to win state.

He said, “Individually, since two-mile is my biggest event, I want to see if I can break 9:30. I honestly don’t know if that’s possible for me, although with my past record, it probably is. And with the mile, I want to try to break 4:30.”

As Lang said, “There’s no stopping him.”