Isaac Abbott ’26 is an incredible cross country runner and a prominent leader at Jesuit. From participating in Liturgy Workshop and Star Crew, to leading the cross country team to various victories, he has certainly left a mark on our campus. 

“Isaac is a great leader and he makes the people around him better,” said Assistant Cross Country Coach Thomas Witzgall ’98. “He supports and cares for his classmates and teammates. He has a positive attitude and he shares his positive energy with people around him.

Isaac has also been a large part of the cross country team all four years on campus, running with the varsity squad since his freshman year.  

“He cares more about the team’s success than his own personal accomplishments,” Mr. Witzgall said. “Isaac has been a big part of the cross country team’s success. We will miss his leadership next year.”

Isaac would like to leave Jesuit knowing he served the Jesuit community to the best of his ability.

“I want to be known more than just the cross country kid, but also someone who was a good friend and a good leader.”

Beyond the field, Isaac is a Swiss Army knife around campus. His achievements in various co-curricular activities have positively impacted Jesuit.

“I’m a part of a lot of programs at Jesuit, the intramurals coordinator, part of Liturgy Workshop, Star Crew, and I think whenever I give a shadow or tour of Jesuit, I always want to tell them that there’s more to Jesuit than just athletics,” Isaac said. “I think that’s a big misconception about Jesuit, we’re an athletically driven school, [however] there’s so much more to it. So I wanted to become a leader and get involved as much as possible in the Jesuit community.”

As of this November, Isaac is committed to Duke University for cross country and track and field. Isaac’s college decision process allowed him to reflect upon the values that he intends to continue at Duke. 

“[I value] being able to build relationships that go beyond just running and being able to talk about anything with my teammates [at Duke], anything that’s going on in their life, good or bad,” Isaac said. “And I want to be seen as a guy who they can go to.”

Isaac’s leadership, resilience, and optimistic attitude throughout his time at Jesuit have proven him to be a standout marauder and brother, and his presence on campus will be missed.