Forget that he’s one of the top distance runners in the United States — it’s still impossible not to put Kurt Ruegg in a class by himself.

Think that high school-aged kids are largely lazy and mostly lacking motivation? Ruegg, by himself, might make people reconsider the question.

“I’m just a very competitive person,” the Napa High senior said. “I’m just built that way. It comes naturally. I’ve always just wanted to be the best student and the best runner.”

Best student?

Ruegg’s in line to be a valedictorian for the Napa class of 2010 with a grade-point-average hovering around 4.7.

Best runner?

He’ll be racing for the California Interscholastic Federation Cross Country Championships Division I title on Saturday over 5,000 meters at Woodward Park in Fresno.

Ruegg will toe the starting line after winning a Sac-Joaquin Section championship. He’s ranked 25th in the state over 5,000 meters with a best of 15 minutes, 34 seconds, good for fifth in Division I rankings.

The runner realizes that being wildly motivated, incredibly disciplined and increasingly successful doesn’t make him better than anybody else. It just make him Kurt Ruegg.

“I understand where they’re coming from,” Ruegg said of his peers who find it difficult to exert even the minimum effort in life. “It depends on who they are and how they’ve lived. It’s different for different people.”

The Indians’ star acknowledges that parents Roger and Loreen have done everything they can to help him get where he is in school and sport. He is not, however, the product of parental pressure that pushes him further than he really wants to go.

“My parents helped me along,” the younger Ruegg said. “In elementary and middle school there was no television and no getting on the computer until we did our homework. They didn’t really monitor us, though. I just started to do it that way on my own.”

Roger Ruegg is Napa’s cross country coach, so it’s probably difficult to believe that young Kurt isn’t feeling a ton more pressure as the cross country stakes get higher.

“My dad has a hands-off approach with me now,” the 5-foot-10, 135-pounder said. “He lets me do my own thing. He lets me control the terms of my training.”

And, no, his mom doesn’t stand in the background insisting that he run further and faster either.

“She’s my cheerleader,” Kurt explained. “She’s always encouraging me. She used to do triathlons, so she definitely has knowledge of training, but she doesn’t get involved in that with me. She’s out there with her cow bells cheering for me.”

Ruegg gets his training program from former Vintage and Napa cross country coach Mark Proteau. He’ll get training tips from Proteau. Mostly, though, Ruegg is on his own.

“I run by myself during workouts,” Ruegg said. “There are two types of practices — long runs and interval or speed training. Every runner has their own pace. I’m mostly on my own. I’m used to it and don’t feel isolated or anything. I see my teammates at every practice, so it’s not like I’m always by myself.”

Ruegg covers eight to 10 miles during those “long workouts.”

It might be surprising to learn how he occupies his mind mile after mile, day after day.

“Sometimes, I listen to music,” he said. “But, really, I don’t know what I think about. I guess I just get in a zone and don’t really think about anything in particular.”

Ruegg played team sports growing up and, briefly, considered choosing basketball over distance running in middle school.

“If you really enjoy doing something, you’re more likely to get good at it,” the runner said. “There’s no luck involved in becoming a good runner like there is most other sports. If you put in the time and have the dedication, you get the results. I like that.”

Ruegg really likes the freedom that runners enjoy.

“You can practice any time, anywhere,” he said. “All I need is a pair of shoes.”

Well, shoes and a willingness to run and run when running might not seem like a good idea. All he needs are dedication and some discipline to run. The same holds for doing homework necessary to be a 4.7 GPA honors student.

“Doing homework and running are different, but there is a rhythm to doing either one,” Ruegg said. “You just get into a habit, day to day. You set up a time when you’re going to do it and you do it. I come home and eat and do my homework every day.”

Ruegg’s past the tough part of his high school studies, but not without having had to weather the storms that come with being a distance runner who spends hours in training and, then, in class.

“In my sophomore and junior year, it was really tough,” he said. “I’ve pretty much maxed out on classes I need to take this year. But, the last two years there were times when I didn’t get a whole lot of sleep. I used to feel more fatigued than I do know.”

Ruegg, it turns out, is susceptible to the same feelings most have when hard work seems simply impossible.

“There are days when you have to run when you’re tired,” he said. “There are days you just don’t feel like running. I don’t have days like that very often, but I’ve gotten used to them. Maybe your legs are heavy or you’ve got an upset stomach. It can happen in a race, too.”

Ruegg acknowledges that the largely flat Woodward Park course, which features only one big hill, isn’t necessarily built for a runner with his talents.

“It’s all flat with rolling hills in the middle,” he said. “I’m more of a hill runner, so it really doesn’t suit my style. But I’ve done better on flatter courses this year, so maybe I’m changing.”

The runner said his winning time in the section meet in Folsom converts to, roughly, a time of 15 minutes on the Fresno course.

“That should put me in the top five,” Ruegg said. “Anywhere in the top three would be great. There are lots of standout runners.”

Ruegg, naturally, has his priorities set. If forced to choose between the top student or the top runner, he makes the choice quickly.

“Oh, I’d rather win the state championship, for sure,” he said.

That could be a choice that Ruegg doesn’t have to make.

Kurt Ruegg File

Favorite sport: Track or cross country? “I prefer cross country. The longer the distance, the better I like it.”

Favorite video game: “I don’t really play video games. Well, sometimes at friend’s houses. But they get boring.”

What he does to relax: Hiking or “anything that gets me outdoors.”

Runner’s diet: “You can’t starve yourself or you can’t build muscle and you feel bad. I think I eat a normal high school kid’s diet.”

Weight training: “I don’t lift weights. I do push-ups and sit-ups. Lifting tired me out and, I think, contributed to an injury.”

College plan: “I’ve narrowed my list down to five schools or so. My uncle’s helping me with the process and suggested I not say much more about it right now.”

Career plan: “Something in science … physics or chemistry. Maybe in engineering.”