Name: Chris Bonner
Sport: Track & Field
Event: 400-meter run
Hometown: Stoughton, Mass.
High School: Xaverian Brothers High School
School/Year: COL `06
Major: Psychology and Pre-Medicine
High School Highlights: 2001: 400-meter state champion . team state championship . New England Championship. 2002: 400-meter state champion . 600-meter indoor state champion . New England championship.
Georgetown Highlights: 2004: Big East 4×400 outdoor relay champion. 2005: Big East 400-meters indoor runner-up.
When did you first start running track? I was a jumper my freshmen year of high school, to help with basketball. I just started running at the end of the season. In my sophomore year I decided to switch my concentration from basketball to track.
What was the best moment in your career so far? I don’t know. I would say running on the 4×4 my freshmen year. I was a freshman running with a lot of good seniors. It was an honor, I guess.
Who’s your biggest rival? I say probably as a team, Villanova. I don’t like them at all. There is this kid, Drew Eckmen, he is not better than me, I say, but he doesn’t know how to run, so he cuts a lot of people off and doesn’t make a lot of friends.
What is the biggest sacrifice you have had to make for track? Well, you have to make sure that you’re taking care of yourself and making sure you are not going out all the time. Your Friday nights have to be boring.
What is your best event? The 400-meter run.
What do you do to get psyched for meets? I try more than anything else to stay relaxed. It is really easy to get overly excited and too hyped up. I think as a team we are very good at handling our business as high-tier college athletes. We get done what we have to do.
Nike or Reebok? Nike’s. We’re sponsored by Nike’s, so we have no choice.
If you could be great at any other sport or event besides track, what would it be? Why? Basketball. I never played organized sports as a kid, but everyone in my street played basketball. It was a fun thing I started at, and it would be a fun thing to get back to.
What is your biggest fear on and off the track? On the track, I worry way too much about getting out too fast and dying. That is a problem for me; I have to get over that. I don’t know about biggest fear in general.
Where is your favorite place to be in Georgetown? I like the place over next to the observatory where the fishpond is. Nobody is ever up there. I like my privacy.
Freshman dorm? I was in Harbin. It was a good floor. We were all pretty social, but it wasn’t out of control.
Anything you want to do before you graduate? Get to nationals. You have to get top six in regionals, and last year I missed it by one person. So, I almost made it to the finals.
Who’s your biggest inspiration? I say my mom [Katherine Bonner]. She just has worked her butt off and has become very good at what she does. She hasn’t taken “no” as an answer throughout her career.
Most prized possession? My Playstation. Right now I have been playing a lot of Metal Gear Solid 3. I have two Playstation 2’s, a Gamecube, X-Box and a decent computer. I write reviews for THE HOYA sometimes. I have gotten a few free games. It is a nice deal. Final Fantasy Tactics is probably my favorite game of all time.
What one word describes you? I say “boring.” I’m kind of a homebody. If people don’t drag me out I usually am content just sitting around.
Favorite food? Lobster.
Are you in any groups other than track and field? No, I write for THE HOYA sometimes, that is like “Special to THE HOYA.” I am not a staff writer or something.
What made you choose Georgetown for college? Because of all the schools I was looking at, it was the best academically. It was the best athletically. I really like the location, and I have some family nearby. I was most heavily looking at Yukon and Princeton.
Favorite TV show? I want to say Family Guy. The three seasons they have are funny. The Simpsons has been around for so long, so I have to give them a nod for the longevity. I don’t have a favorite episode. Maybe the one where they got Santa’s Little Helper.
Favorite movie? I would say the Disney Animated version of Robin Hood. Either that, or Dumb and Dumber.
Laptop or desktop? Laptop. I was halfway through putting a new graphics card into it.
Any advice for people who wants to join Track and Field? You are going to have to sacrifice your social life. You have to decide if it is really what you want to do above everything else. I don’t regret doing it, though.
Dark chocolate or milk chocolate? Dark chocolate. I just don’t like milk chocolate.
What is your biggest pet peeve? My roommate [Chris Esselborn (COL ’05)] leaves his crap everywhere. I always throw it on his bed. I really want to throw it out the window.
What is your favorite way to relax? Video games. Sit down and play video games with roommates. Well, I guess I like to go by the observatory when it is warmer.
What is the thing you miss the most about home? My mom’s cooking. My favorite meal is probably lobster chowder, but it’s a big pain in the butt to make. It is incredible. You don’t even know. I was up in Maine camping, and we went to this one place where a guy walked off a boat with the lobster traps, put them in a pot and brought them to our table.
Who on the team do you relay on the most? Probably my roommate, Stanley Lagrenade (COL ’06). He’s just a very dependable person who looks out for other people.
If there were a movie made about your life, what actor would you like to see play you? Christopher Walken, just because it would be funny. A generic choice would be somebody like Brad Pitt, but that’s not interesting.
Booey’s or Wisey’s? Wisey’s. It’s closer. Booey’s sandwiches are probably better. But in reality for me, it is all about Vittles. I drink a lot of Coke there. A liter of Cola is my No. 1 item.
