Run, Write, Repeat: One Last Season


The eagerly anticipated track season officially gets underway tomorrow and marks the beginning of the end of my high school career! From my first varsity sports (soccer and golf in 7th grade) to my senior year, I've been fortunate to experience all the fantastic things that high school sports offer, such as meeting new people, travel to different places, and competing at a very high level. It is rather bittersweet to know that with every high school meet I run in, it will be the last time I compete in that meet, but I am excited to have that opportunity and I am incredibly eager to see what lies ahead in my college years. Before that, however, there are races I am looking forward to watching, people I am excited to compete with, and goals I hope to accomplish.

The 2018 track season promises to bring us numerous fascinating races, and the girls distance events for Class A will be something that I eagerly anticipate watching. Grace and Lauren Ping have had a very good winter, competing in New Balance Indoor Nationals, and are clearly already in  good shape for a strong outdoor season with Winona Cotter. Of course, we all also remember Math and Science's Tierney Wolfgram (Minnesota's reigning Gatorade XC Player of the Year) rising up to meet their challenge and defeating both of them in cross-country before earning All-American honors at Foot Locker Nationals. Wolfgram will once again look to prove herself as the best in the business as she squares off against the Pings in the 1600 and 3200 meters, and it will be fascinating to see where these three end up. Perhaps even more incredible, none of these young women are sophomores yet! Minnesota is poised for 4+ years of elite high-school women's distance racing.


The Hamline Elite meet will provide an even more intriguing spectacle, as all of Minnesota's elite young women will square off, including (but not limited to) Washburn's Emily Covert, Farmington's Anna Fenske and Lauren Peterson, and Minnetonka's Sophie Whicher. All of these young women have achieved remarkable things on the state and national stage, and it is a treat to watch such a deep field compete for titles!

Then there is my teammate, Mounds Park Academy's own Yahya Mader, who is also poised for an exciting season. The junior decided to try out the high jump for the first time last year, and in his first section meet ever he jumped 6'2'' while fasting for Ramadan. He has displayed a passion for the sport, attended jumping clinics, and has a lot of natural talent. Over the winter, Yahya has had a stellar basketball season, cementing himself as a key player whose occasional dunks bring the crowd to their feet. With a year of experience under his belt, and a passion for the sport, I am extremely excited to see where Yahya will end up come at State this year!

On a more personal level, Mason Ferlic is a bit of a legend at Mounds Park Academy, and the NCAA 3k steeplechase champion - now professional for Nike - holds all of our school's distance records (800, 1:57; 1600, 4:16; 3200, 9:17). Before I finish high school, I am gunning to take all these records down, having come up a few seconds short for our cross-country school record.

Times aside, I will be looking to claim two more State titles in the 1600 and 3200 meters after coming up a little short in the 3200 meters last year and cross-country last fall. As always, there will be plenty of competition, especially with La Crescent's Matt Steiger, but I am confident that I have what it takes. Of course, it is also my goal to be able to win races by slightly more comfortable margins than the last few championship races I've run in, and that is what I hope to do this season!

Hamline is an excellent opportunity for us Class A runners to compete against the larger schools, and, in some ways, it acts as a 'mini-state championship'. Should I qualify, I'm looking forward to testing my legs against future teammate, Khalid Hussein, as well as Roseville star, Acer Iverson. Ever since my first State cross-country meet, where I finished 19th, I set my sights on being the best runner in Minnesota, regardless of class. But while I have seen a lot of improvement and success, the past few seasons haven't quite gone as I have hoped, whether it be due to illness or injury, or a simple lack of speed and endurance. I hope this last track season will give me the chance to stake my claim as one of the state's top runners amongst the likes of Hussein and Iverson.

My last goal for this season, as cliché as it may sound, is to have fun being and competing with my teammates and friends that I have made over the years. In all likelihood, after this year I will never run a relay with my teammates again and I will not see many of the friends I have made on a consistent basis. I am looking to embrace every moment of this season, whether it be getting the baton from my teammates in our last 4x800 meters together or warming up at state with Matt Steiger while discussing how late we'll leave it this time!

Every year, the State track meet falls on the same day as our school's graduation, and every year we find ourselves scrambling to the car after the 1600 meters, toweling off sweat, and putting on a suit as we speed from Hamline to Maplewood (younger students have to work at/perform at graduation, although this year I'll be in it)! This year, as I trade singlet for graduation gown I hope to have no regrets, and I hope to feel that I gave everything I could for myself and my team, and regardless of how the results go, I will be happy with how my high school career ended.

Happy Running!

Questions, comments, concerns?
Fellow running junkie to talk to?
dahlbergxc@gmail.com