Kent Reporter’s Male Athlete of the Week: Charles Shaffer

Shaffer is the cross country team captain.

Courtesy Photo

Courtesy Photo

Kentridge High School senior Charles Shaffer, cross country, is the Kent Reporter Athlete of the Week for Sept. 8.

Q: What is your favorite subject/class in school?

A: My favorite subject in school is math! I want to pursue something math-related in college like accounting or data analysis.

Q: Name your Mount Rushmore (Top 4) favorite movies:

A: “Cars 2,” “The Intouchables,” “Kingsman: Secret Service,” “Burnt”

Q: Who is the person in your life that has helped you succeed the most?

A: I don’t think I could possibly decide on one person who’s helped me the most, so I’ll choose a few. My mom and dad have been so supportive of me my whole life. I’ve always been encouraged to practice kindness, be a leader, and pursue what I love. I see parts of them in myself every day, and I’m very grateful for the opportunities that they have provided me. Another person who has helped me succeed is my stepmom. She always brings 110% energy and makes me feel appreciated and seen. There’s never a dull moment with her around. The final person is my stepdad. He’s so outgoing and he makes connections with people everywhere we go. I aspire to connect to people as effortlessly as he does. He’s a natural entrepreneur and his work ethic is unmatched. So, to answer the question, I attribute any success that I achieve to the wonderful group of parents who always have my back.

Q: You’re on a long road trip, you stop at a gas station. You get one drink and one snack. What are you choosing?

A: I would choose chocolate milk and a Milky Way bar. I have a huge sweet-tooth and chocolate is my weakness.

Q: Describe your pre-game ritual.

A: My pre-game ritual is pretty simple. I take the bus from Kentridge to the meet with my teammates and we either blast music and have a party or pop headphones in and relax. It all depends on the energy levels. When we get to the meet, we walk the course. This is a crucial step to making sure we don’t get lost during the race. As my race time approaches, I jog for a few minutes with my team to get our heart rates up. Next, we stretch as a group and then break off for whatever other preparations we need. I always try to eat three fruit punch flavored Jelly Belly Sports Beans about half an hour before my race as a little ritual. After I’ve put my spikes on, it’s time to lay down on the ground and rest.

Q: Song you currently can’t stop listening to?

A: “Stop this Train,” John Mayer

From the Sidelines: Charlie has done a wonderful job as captain and leader of our team. He is constantly supporting all of his teammates. He has worked extremely hard over these last two weeks and is looking primed for a great season.


Talk to us

Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.

To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.

More in Sports

Graphic provided by Kent School District.
Kent Reporter Athletes of the Week: Kentridge

Judy Chen (Sr.) tennis and Richard Calkins (Sr.) judo are this weeks winners.

Anthony Diaz celebrates the game’s winning goal. Ben Ray / The Reporter
Kent-Meridian soccer survives and advances

Royals down Federal Way 2-1 for second win this season over Eagles.

Riley Lambarena pitched four innings against Kennedy. Ben Ray / The Reporter
West Central District baseball tournament preview

Breakdown and analysis for the first round of the playoffs.

Jozi Thompson pitching against Interlake. Ben Ray / The Reporter
Fastpitch district tournament preview

Kentridge, Auburn Riverside and Auburn Mountainview begin quest for the state tournament.

Jo Thompson pitches against Auburn Riverside. Ben Ray / The Reporter
Kentridge has five-game win streak snapped vs. Auburn Riverside

Chargers now turn eyes to the postseason as they nab the No. 4 seed in districts.

Graphic provided by Kent School District.
Kent Reporter Athlete of the Week: Kentlake

Raiden Renggli (Sr.) soccer and Taylor Le (Fr.) track and field take home this weeks awards.

Jack Coleman delivers a pitch for Kentwood against Auburn Riverside. Ben Ray / The Reporter
Kentwood baseball just misses the postseason cut

Kentwood drops series to Auburn Riverside and misses playoffs for the first time since 2019.

Photo provided by Kidder Matthews.
New pickleball facility set to open in Auburn this summer

A 43,959-square-foot building is set to become Rally Pickleball Club.

A crowd of 400 gather to give thoughts and prayers to Joe Townsend. Ben Ray / The Mirror
Federal Way remembers Joe Townsend

Townsend was more than a baseball and bowling coach at Thomas Jefferson High School

Graphic provided by Kent School District.
Kent Reporter Coach of the Month: Honey Sychtysz

Sychtysz is a true champion of inclusion as she coaches unified basketball and track and field.

Keilor Garcia puts Decatur to bed after scoring the second Royals goal of the night. Ben Ray / The Reporter
Royals boys soccer wins seventh straight after slow start

Kent-Meridian downs Decatur and creeps toward the top of the standings.

Graphic provided by Kent School District.
Kent Reporter Athletes of the Week: Kentlake

Leone Suamtaia (Sr. Fastpitch) and Jacob Lawrence (So. Baseball) are this weeks winners.