Cross country coach Kelly Parsley used three words to describe team captain Chris Hunt.

“Hard-worker. Positive. Leader,” Parsley said.

A Kane, Pa. native, Hunt first started running cross country in seventh grade because his school didn’t have enough boys to field a soccer team.

Prior to joining cross country, he competed on his school’s wrestling team. Hunt started wrestling because his dad was a huge fan of the sport, but Hunt was surprised to find that he was really good at it. He competed in wrestling for five years, but felt bad when he beat his opponents, so he quit the team and started playing soccer instead.

Hunt played soccer for five years as a midfielder, which is how Parsley discovered Hunt was a talented runner.

In soccer, the midfielder has to be the most conditioned on the field because they are constantly running after the ball. After he was offered a position on the cross country team, he left soccer to compete on the course instead.

During Hunt’s senior year, Parsley contacted him and sparked his interest in Point Park. Hunt is a junior acting major with two minors in English and history. The more Hunt looked into the school, the more he fell in love with it.

“[Parsley] knew I was looking for a school with a good acting program, so I looked it up, and I found out that Point Park was really one of the top acting schools in the nation. So it was a perfect fit for me,” Hunt said.

This is Hunt’s third year with the team, but only his second year competing. Freshman year, he battled plantar fasciitis in his foot and was sidelined for the season. However, when he is healthy and on the course, Hunt is a positive spirit.

“With his level of enthusiasm, he really embraces his role of captain,” Parsley said. “He takes it very seriously. I chose him as the captain for many reasons…one, because he is a leader by example… he loves the sport and is very enthusiastic about it, and that has become very infectious for some of the younger athletes.”

Freshman runner Dannys Marrero described Hunt as a “good role model” and an “encouraging leader.”

“I came from Florida, so I didn’t know anybody,” Marrero said. “He’s really friendly and approachable. He’s made the transition easier for me.”

Along with his positivity, Hunt considers himself very “free-spirited,” and views shoes as confining, choosing to go barefoot most of the time.

“I’ve always found shoes uncomfortable, and I just love the feeling of the ground underneath my feet,” Hunt said. “I never wear shoes when I’m at home.”

In addition to his love for going barefoot, Hunt also loves to climb trees. In fact, he regularly climbs them at practice when the team travels to Schenley Park on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

“It is very adventurous, exhilarating and fun,” Hunt said. “So far, I’ve never fallen.”

Both the men’s and women’s cross country teams compete this Saturday at the Louisville Classic.