When freshman and two-sport athlete Noa Miller-Caraballo began the 2018-19 school year, he was hoping to find success as both a member of the school’s cross-country and soccer teams. Now, with cross-country season concluding, instead of preparing for soccer season, he finds himself nursing a pinched sciatic nerve.

“I was running the 5k for cross-country and my hamstring started to feel tight,” Miller-Caraballo said. “Then, it gave out a bit and I just kept running and pushing it, which probably wasn’t a good idea. My coach pulled me off for the race and I didn’t get to finish it.”

Cross-country Coach Greg Hayes, expressed concern when he noticed the leg injury.

“I became aware of the injury when he began limping during one of our Monday morning easy runs,” Hayes said. “I advised him to take time off from running with the cross country team and to seek advice from his soccer coach on how they want to proceed with his recovery for soccer.”

Though he is taking the year off after coaching the JV soccer team last year, art teacher Matt Henderson was understandably disappointed after hearing of Miller-Caraballo’s injury.

“If I were coaching this year, Noa could be a part of the team as a manager,” Henderson said. “His injury will affect the team as he is a key element in the midfield. Now the younger players will have to step up and carry some of his weight on the field.”

Since Miller-Caraballo has been forced to miss the rest of the cross-country season, he has been spending his time in other ways.

“I’ve been icing the injury and I’m starting to do physical training,” he said. “I’ve put everything else on hold, so I’m focusing on school now. Hopefully, it’ll be 100 percent by soccer season.”