Cross Country, Baseball
Favorite athlete: Bryce Harper
Favorite team: Phillies
Favorite memory competing in sports: Winning the first round of districts in baseball this year.
Most embarrassing/funniest thing that has happened while competing in sports: False starting in Cross Country Race
Music on playlist: 80s hits
Future plans: Attending Cornell University for Hospitality Administration
Words to live by: “You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great” – Zig Ziglar
One goal before turning 30: Visit more national parks
One thing people don’t know about me: I was born in California
By GORDON GLANTZ
What do Leonard da Vinci, Michelangelo, Benjamin Franklin and Kris Kristofferson all have in common?
All fit the working definition of a Renaissance man, which generally equates to being talented
and an expert in multiple disciplines.
Kieran Patel, who recently graduated from New Hope Solebury, fits the description.
“To me, he is a renaissance man,” said Lions’ baseball coach Tony Vlahovic, via text from Croatia, where he was visiting his daughter. “Kieran is an incredible young man who is not only a talented athlete but also an accomplished musician and entrepreneur.”
For his part, Patel seemed flattered but taken aback by the label.
“I take pride in all the different things that I do,” he said. “Honestly, it’s just fun to try and balance it all. I enjoy doing so.”
Dreams Realized
Patel is coming off a dream athletic senior season, having been a vacuum cleaner in center field for a Lions’ team that won a district playoff game for the first time in a long while and – in recognition of his standout season - earning second team All-SOL Freedom Division honors.
Still, it was the team reaching new heights that meant more than individual accomplishments.
He said: “For me, all four years at New Hope, we hadn’t even gotten to the playoffs, so it was something we all just really tried to enjoy.”
Patel captained both his baseball and cross country squads as a senior with a steady brand of leadership.
“He is a quiet leader whose strength is leading by example,” said Vlahovic. “He’s one of the most coachable and brightest players we have had in our program.”
Cross country coach Dana McCafferty added that Patel was both a “great athlete” and a “great leader,” saying: “Kieran made huge impact on our team the moment he stepped onto it.”
Beyond Sports
On the strength of a 4.5 GPA, Patel – who was involved in student government at New Hope - will be attending Cornell in the fall.
Patel was initially looking at schools like NYU, Georgetown and Northeastern.
“I was really surprised to get into Cornell,” said Patel, who hopes to eventually join the family business that includes hotels and senior living centers. “It’s an Ivy League school. It’s not easy to get into. I ended up debating between Cornell and Northeastern’s Honors’ program.
“I went to see the school. I ended up going with Cornell because it’s better academically, and I really loved the campus. It’s just a beautiful campus.”
Making a Difference
An accomplished musician, Patel had the opportunity to play saxophone in a Paris jazz club while on a recent school trip. He has also played for the school musicals and is in the jazz band.
When he goes to Ithaca, N.Y., Patel will be carrying with him achievements like joining forces with a musician friend to raise money for charity.
Along with Ben Stein on trumpet, Patel played saxophone. The two played on the streets of New Hope and Cape May to surpass their $10,000 goal.
The earnings went to the National Brain Tumor Foundation, in honor of Patel’s aunt (Payal Patel) who passed away in 2018, and the Miracle League for challenged youth to play sports.
“I have a passion for doing both music and business,” Patel said. “I had this project that I did, called ‘Music for Miracles,’ where I basically took two of my biggest passions, music and business, and kind of put them together.
“It felt very rewarding to be able to give back to those organizations.”
Getting down to business
Patel gave a glimpse of his entrepreneurial spirit, starting a clothing apparel business called Just2Guys. The company’s mission is to raise mental health awareness.
“I started it with some guys from our high school,” said Patel. “We’re a mindful apparel brand that does local events as vendors as well as our online store, and we donate 20 percent of our profits to mental health charities.”
Change of Scenery
Patel, the oldest of Casey and Montu’s three children, grew up playing soccer and was on the high school team as an underclassman.
He would watch the cross country team run by while the soccer team was practicing and wistfully took note of how comparatively satisfied they looked.
He decided to shift gears and change fall sports.
“It was a huge decision for me,” said Patel. “I liked the running aspect of soccer, and I used to run to train for soccer, so I tried it out. I figured I would at least be fairly decent at it, and I was.
“It was a big leap though. I wasn’t sure if I made the right decision at first. I went from the soccer team, where I had friends, to the cross country team where I had no friends. The first day, I ended up making a bunch of friends.
“I used to just run for fun, so I thought I would really enjoy the sport, and I did. I really liked my teammates and made some friends.”
Drawing inspiration from McCafferty, he literally ran and never looked back.
“I really liked the coach,” said Patel. “She pushed us really, really hard this past season. She knew that we had the right team. She knew we had the talent to win districts this year, but that we would have to work really hard for it. That was the most intense sports season I ever had, but it was well worth it.”
Patel was not only a captain but also the number one runner for the district champion Lions.
While Patel placed fourth individually in the district, the Lions – as a result of their first-place finish - earned a trip to Hershey for states.
“He was instrumental in helping us win the district,” said McCafferty. “He’s one of those kids who you know will go very far. He’s smart and driven and is motivated to make himself better every day.”
After winning districts, the pressure was sort of lifted from the Lions’ backs.
“Going to states was kind of like a bonus for us,” he said. “It was this crazy meet. There were 300 runners on the line. The whole entire 3.1 miles of the race is lined with supporters cheering all the way. It was just a great experience and something that our whole team will never forget.”
And Patel said he won’t soon forget the bond with his coach.
“The time I had with her was only a couple of years, but I feel like I have known her for a long time,” he explained. “She was a huge supporter of mine, and we definitely would not have won the title if not for her pushing us, especially at the end, when everyone is tired and maybe not always running at their best.”
Leading the Way
As a captain, Patel provided leadership to his younger teammates.
“Compared to other captains, I’m less vocal. I’m more of a quiet leader,” said Patel, who wanted to thank his family, friends and coaches for their support through the years. “My effectiveness as a leader comes from leading by example.”
“I feel that showing your leadership by your actions can be very effective. I enjoy having juniors and underclassmen look up to me. It’s not only about coming better as a player but as man who is going into the real world and in college.”
