Senior Louis Corgliano is one of a million. Literally.

Corgliano ran in the Foot Locker National Cross Country race in San Diego this past December. In order to qualify for this race, high schoolers from around the country had to win qualifier after qualifier. Corgliano’s final lap to get to the National race was a regional meet in New York City. In all of the Northeast, Lou placed 9th and qualified for the national race.

The prize? An all-expenses paid trip to San Diego to compete against some of the nation’s greatest athletes. At the end of the race, Lou finished 24th out of the 40 qualifiers. Lou came back to Hammonton as the 24th runner in the nation.

So what does it feel like to return home with these honors?

“To be honest, I truthfully do not feel like an inspiration. I am same old Lou that tries to make any situation funny. I don’t feel like some hero like Hercules,” he said.

The journey to this point has not been a solitary one. As Corgliano explained, much of his success has to do with his family.

“My parents always instilled in me a certain work ethic. To always try my best at whatever the situation was. Whenever I raced, I was determined to win,” he said. “That might be the reason why I was able to accomplish so much since sophomore year.”

His performance at Nationals garnered a lot of attention from colleges and universities, and many are curious to see where Corgliano will continue his running career. However, he refused to comment on any college decision.

“Success” is a word that is associated with Corgliano; perhaps surprisingly, “humble” is another. Corgliano appears to shy away from the attention, returning from the race in San Diego and walking through the hallways as if he had an ordinary weekend.  According to his teammates, it is this modesty that makes him a strong leader.

Many friends and classmates reacted to his success.

“Its so unbelievable that I used to run around and play manhunt in the neighborhood with him. I remember in 2008, when the Phillies won the World Series,  we ran around banging pots and pans together. Im just so proud of him,” said junior Alyssa Worrell.

Freshman Phillip Iuliucci, who plans to run track this spring, is looking forward to the opportunity to watch and study Corgliano’s skill and habits.

“The first time I see him training on that track will be so cool to see,” he said.

Freshmen Ashley Ranere is also excited about being part of the same team in the spring.

“It’s going to be such a great experience to have the 24th runner in the nation run along side us. I already know that he’ll be a source of inspiration when I feel like giving up,” she said.

The lesson that many students can learn from Corgliano’s story is this: you do not have be bred to be successful. One does not need parents to push you at the age of 2 to become a nationally renowned athlete.  According to this tale, you need some talent, but you more importantly, you need determination and modesty. being hungry to accomplish that next step, we would all be greater athletes, student