Enrique Rupert is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Westwood High School for AZPreps365.com

Daniel Reese is a cross-country runner from Westwood High School who has battled Osgood-Schallter disease and ankle injuries during the season.

Though Reese is only 14-years-old, he showed mental and physical toughness throughout the season to overcome his adversity and managed to improve his time by over 15 minutes.

Osgood-Schallter disease is a type of runner’s knee that is a common cause of knee pain in young children and adolescents who are still growing. His coach Nate Beaty has seen firsthand the severity of this injury.

“A couple years ago I had an athlete that had it so bad that he had to go on crutches,” Beaty said. “He didn’t race the rest of the season, so it was worrying when I saw Daniel show similar symptoms.”

In addition to his knees, Reese’s ankles were also injured. Reese attributed his ankle injuries to wearing eight-month-old shoes that became worn out due to running and his growth.

“It was very frustrating, it felt like there was little I could do about the situation,” Reese said. “It was really out of my control and it was just really difficult to experience.”

Reese joined a running club when he was 13 and realized he loved running and competing. Fueled by his obsession to be the best, the freshman decided to join the Westwood Warriors cross-country team this season.

Reese, now 14, started the season running a mile time trial in 6:13. The next day Reese came back to training complaining that his knees were in pain. 

Beaty took it easy with Reese for a day or two because the next week there was a time trial 5K cross-country meet.

The injury hampered Reese’s race as he came in last place with a time of 34:24. 

Beaty recognized that his time was significantly slower compared to Reese’s one-mile time trial which was just over six minutes. With the injury getting worse, Reese began complaining to his coach about the pain.

Reese’s pain was so overbearing at times that he’d even ask to cut the sessions short. On seeing this, Beaty looked for alternative exercises for Reese.

“I did a lot of little things to help him strengthen back up,” Beaty said. “I had him doing a lot more stationary biking and when he had to run, I made him run on artificial grass which is a lot easier on the joints.”

This alternative training paid dividends as in Reese’s next race; Beaty said, “He came back with a vengeance,” running a time of 21:16.80.

Reese never missed a race in the four-to-six-week period where he was injured. Reese’s mental strength and upbringing were two key factors in him continuing to run despite being in immense pain. 

His father, Andrew Reese, played a key role in Reese having these traits.

“I’ve always taught him to always just show up,” Andrew said. “Continue to do the work, work hard and do your best every day and we saw that in his running with him working through the challenges.”

His teammate and best friend, Angel Vargas, was also surprised with Reese’s progression and attitude throughout the season.

“I could tell he was hurting and he was upset, but he took it like a champion,” Vargas said. “He just came stronger and I’m super proud and excited for him because his improvement was way more than I expected. Daniel just brings that lightheartedness and kindness to the team. He’s super relaxed and he’s the one that keeps the team from being too serious.”

Reese’s injury affected not only his athletic endeavors but also his day-to-day activities. 

“It affected me mentally for sure,” Reese said. “It was definitely the lowest point of my life in running because running was my escape from reality and it was very difficult to do so.”

Since first being injured, Reese only missed one day of school due to the pain in his knees. Though Reese balances both cross-country and his academics well, he said the injury did also have a positive effect on his academics. 

“Honestly, not running as much helped my academics,” Reese said. “It allowed me more time to do homework and catch up on my studies.”

Daniel Reese running at the Mesa City Meet on Oct. 20 at Red Mountain High School. (Photo courtesy of Daniel Reese)

Reese’s hard work has seen him improve tremendously throughout the season, as he ran below 20 minutes on two occasions. 

On Nov. 1, Reese ran his last race of the season, the AIA sectionals - Glendale Heroes, and clocked a personal best time of 19:04.30. This saw him shave 15:20 off his first race of the season.

“My coach really helped me and made me realize that I had a lot more potential than I thought I had,” Reese said.

Though Reese did not qualify for state this year, he is still young and continuously learning. With the improvements he has made this year, the sky's the limit for Reese.

“Reese is only a freshman,” Beaty said. “He’s the team’s third man and is vital to the team qualifying for state next year. It’s just been ridiculous how much he’s improved this season.”