De Pere High School, cross country and track

Parents’ names: Al and Kristin Bintz

Siblings: Greg Bintz

Instagram: @ryan_bintz22

Position or events: Track- 400m and 4x400m, Cross country- 5k

Career highlight: Making State for cross country

At what age did you start playing your main sport?

Around five years old.

Who introduced you to the sport?

My mom.

Has this always been your favorite sport? 

No, I loved playing basketball when I was younger.

How has balancing academics and athletics been different for you from your freshman year to your senior year?

School definitely gets more challenging the further in you get. Sometimes to keep improving in my sports and academics I would have to use time wisely at school and stay up a little later in order to study enough.

What is your favorite part about this sport? What about it has caused you to stick with it for this long?

My favorite part is how it’s an individual and a team sport. You’re able to compete for yourself, and help the team win at the same time.

Is there a professional athlete you look up to? If so, who?  —

Quincy Wilson.

What would you say is your biggest asset on the field/court/ice? 

I would say my mental toughness. I always want to make sure that I’m doing my part for the team and I don’t want to let my teammates down. We have worked so hard to achieve our team goals.

What has been your most memorable experience in high school sports so far? 

My most memorable experience was going to State for cross country my junior year. It was always a dream of mine and getting there was a very fulfilling experience.

How does it feel as a senior, to look back throughout high school and see your growth (as a person and athlete)?

It feels rewarding to look back and see all the things I’ve accomplished through my academic and athletic career. There were many challenges to overcome throughout these last four years which made me work harder and become more determined to be successful.

Do you have any pre-match rituals/routines/superstitions?

I eat a peanut butter Cliff Bar exactly one hour before every race.

Do you take any extra steps to prepare for a big match/game/meet, outside of regular practices?

Not really, with running keeping things consistent between practices and meets allows me to know what works well with my body while running.

Any memorable coaches or teammates you’d like to give a shout out to?

I would like to thank Coach Hendricks, Coach Joseph and Coach Hansen for always pushing me to become better as an athlete and a person. They all put in so much time that I think goes unnoticed by a lot of people and what they do for us makes our program very successful.

Any hobbies outside of sports?  

Pickleball and hanging out with friends.

Favorite song?

“Time of Our Lives” by Pitbull, Ne-Yo.

Sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade or water?

I love drinking a blue Gatorade after racing.

What is a fun fact about yourself?

I love chicken nuggets.

Future Plans? (college, major, career, etc.)

I plan to attend UW-Whitewater, majoring in Finance.

Article Link: https://gopresstimes.com/stories/nicolet-national-bank-senior-spotlight-ryan-bintz,81216?