The first Tuesday of each month, we interview someone from Charlotte Latin Athletics with twenty questions to help the CLS community get to know some of our athletes, coaches, and supporters a bit better.
 
For September 2023, we introduce you to the Guggenheimer brothers! Senior twins Edward and Noah both play soccer, and freshman brother Charles runs cross country. All three will compete together as part of the track and field team in the spring. This sibling trio is recognized by coaches and teachers for their effort and dedication both in athletics and the classroom, and their energy together is infectious. They're also a rarity among their peers; none of them are on social media. Read on to get to know a little about the Guggenheimer brothers.
 
1. How old are you guys? And who's the oldest?
Noah: Me.
Edward: We were born the same minute though.
Charles: They were born by c-section.
Edward: So he's older, but not by much. We're 18.
Charles: And I'm 14.  
 
2. How would you describe your family dynamic?  
Edward: We spend a lot of time together. We eat dinner as a family most nights. When we're all healthy, we run together, or ride bikes and do things outside.
Noah: We like to be active.
 
3. Would you say you three got your athleticism from your parents?  
Edward: Part of it is from our parents, but all three of us work really hard.
Charles: It's definitely our work ethic.
Noah: Our parents are athletic though.
Edward: That helps too. Mom (Berry) rode horses in high school and she's run eleven marathons. Dad (Mike) wrestled and played golf, and he's run in a number of marathons as well.
Charles: They let us explore a lot of things at a young age.
Noah: They're so active it sort of automatically encourages us.
 
4. Does having a twin create a different kind of sibling connection?
Edward: Definitely. I think it's special
Noah: (Makes a face.)
Edward: It is. It's unique and we do a lot of the same things too.
Noah: It is great that there's always someone you can talk to, wherever you are.
Charles: They definitely have a special twin connection. They tag team each other.
 
5. Charles, does that mean they give you a hard time?  
Charles: Yes!
(All three laugh.)
Charles: There's nothing mean or actually trying to hurt me, but they mess with me a lot.
 
6. So are you going to be sad or happy when they head off to college?
Charles: I'm definitely going to miss them. It's going to be very sad not to have them around. Most of my day has something to do with them; riding in the car, having dinner together, and seeing them all the time now in school.
 
7. Speaking of school, how did you guys come to Latin? What do you remember about that transition?
Noah: We (Noah and Edward) started in sixth grade.
Charles: I started in second grade, a year before them. My school experience before that was not very good. Mrs. Flynn was my first teacher here and I remember being impressed by the school.
Noah: I think it was partly a zoning thing for us. We would've gone to a middle school a lot farther away, so that was one factor, and obviously the education here is really good.
Edward: Latin was a big change from the elementary school we went to, especially with class size. It was pretty welcoming and the transition was pretty easy.
 
8. Which class or teacher has been your favorite so far?
Noah: Dr. Gee, AP bio. I think, first of all, I enjoyed the content. Secondly, I think he's a really good teacher and he made it that much more exciting. Normally, you associate AP classes as being hard and a lot of work, but the way he taught it, he made it fun. The time felt shorter than the actual duration of the class.
Edward: I was going to say the same one. It might be a tie between AP bio and A-push with Mr. Weiss. Biology was eye-opening and Dr. Gee is an amazing teacher; definitely one of the most impactful teachers I've had. Mr. Weiss is equally talented as a teacher and that course would not be the same without him.
Noah: I agree with that.
Charles: I think my favorite has been Latin with Mrs. McQuaid. She's an amazing teacher. It's challenging but I feel like I come out of her class feeling like I learned something new and that I've improved.
 
9. Charles, tell us a bit about your sports journey and how it led to you running cross country this season.  
Charles: I probably started playing soccer at the Y when I was around three. At the same time, I probably did baseball at the Y too.
Noah: Tee ball.
Charles: I didn't stay with tee ball very long. I didn't enjoy it. I played tennis for a couple of years and I started cycling when I was in sixth grade. I got my first road bike for my birthday and then I started getting really into it and rode every weekend with my dad. I still played soccer up until this summer and did basketball through sixth grade, and I started track in seventh grade. This season, I wanted to play soccer to try to play with Edward and Noah, but I didn't make varsity. I really enjoy running though, so I thought cross country would be a better fit anyway and I've really been enjoying it.  
 
10. You had a great first race, although I understand it didn't go exactly as planned. How did you feel about it and do you have a goal for the season?  
Charles: Yeah, that was a source of much teasing (by Edward and Noah). I missed a turn toward the end of the course. I had felt good for most of the race but at that point I was thinking it felt long and maybe I hadn't trained enough, but then Coach Taye was calling to me, and he directed me back the right way. I really want to break the freshman record. I think it's within reach.  
 
11. Noah and Edward, what about you guys? What are your goals for both soccer and track in your senior year?
Noah and Edward: A state championship (for soccer).
Noah: For track, honestly, just to inspire the younger people on the team. When we started track as freshmen, the upperclassmen were always enthusiastic about it even though it's not the most fun sport to practice. Hopefully, we can inspire others the same way.
Edward: For track, my goal is just to enjoy it.
Noah: I can help you with that.
 
12. Noah, you have had a rough time with injuries. You were sidelined for your entire junior soccer season and have missed the beginning of this year as well. How has that impacted you?   
Noah: It was pretty hard to sit out last year. It feels like you lose a little bit of the connection to it. I don't know how to describe it. You feel like you're not part of it anymore. You're on the sideline, but you're not a coach, and everyone knows you can't play, so it's hard to fit into the team. I'm almost cleared to play again, though, so hopefully this year is different.
 
13. How would you compare Latin soccer with club soccer?
Noah: Latin soccer is more exciting.
Edward: It's more fun.
Noah: More people know about it and ask you about it. You hang out with the people on the team every day, instead of just showing up and playing together on weekends.
Edward: It's a different sense of community, and Latin soccer is closer, I would say, than our club team.
 
14. You were both selected as captains this year for the soccer team. Do you feel like leaders?
Edward: I'd say definitely on the soccer team, we're leaders.
Noah: I don't feel like a leader. I just try to do what I think is right and help other people.
Edward: He leads by example. He leads by working hard. I'm more vocal than Noah, but we're similar in that our biggest influence is the example we set. And it's been different for him because he hasn't been playing (due to injury). It's easier to be vocal when you're out there playing with the other guys.
 
15. Do either of you have aspirations to play in college?  
Noah: Yes.
Edward: Yes is the short answer.
Noah: It's challenging though.
15b. Would you consider playing for a collegiate club team?
Edward and Noah: Yes.
Noah: Any person that thinks about playing a sport in college thinks about playing Division I. But at some point, I realized that you don't play soccer because you want to play DI, you play because you love the game. If club soccer is an option and you can play and enjoy it, then that's okay. It's not DI or bust.
 
16. How has the college search been going? Have you figured out some things that you do or don't want?
Edward: It's stressful. There's a lot to consider and it's a lot of work. We're both still trying to decide.
Noah: I definitely want more of a natural setting (rather than urban).
Edward: A liberal arts focus.
Noah: Yeah, for both of us. Actually, it's funny. I feel like every place we've visited, we both liked.
Edward: Or we didn't like the same things. I don't think there's been a school that one of us didn't like that the other did. I'd also like to stay somewhat close because family is a big part of our lives.
Charles: I definitely want them to stay close.
 
17. Alright, guys, here's a tough question. Who's the best DJ for family car trips?  
(All laughing.)
Edward: None of us.
Noah: How about who's the worst DJ? That would be Charles.
Edward: Agree.
Charles: Wow, the hate!
(Still laughing.)
 
18.  If you could have one super power, what would it be?  
Charles: To go sub-4:00 in the mile.
Edward: That's not a super power!
Charles: To do that in the ninth grade? That would be crazy!
Edward: Mine would be flying. Or no….teleporting!
Noah: Instant regeneration. Super healing.
 
19. What's your favorite sports movie?
Charles: I don't know if I have one.
Edward: Miracle.
Charles: That's a good one.
Noah: Pelé.
Charles: Oh, Pelé is a good one.
Noah: It's not called Pelé, but it's about him.
Edward: Hoosiers.
 
20. Noah and Edward, what do you admire about Charles?
Edward: Definitely how hard he works. This summer, he had his mind set on making the varsity soccer team, and he put in a lot of work to prepare for tryouts. When it didn't pan out the way he wanted it to, he didn't give up, he just put all of that work toward cross country.
Noah: I agree. In everything he does, he works incredibly hard.