What was your most memorable race?
The 3200 this year at the Section 6AA meet. I ran the first mile with teammate Joe Klecker before he fell off pace due to his injury, and ended up running by myself against the clock for the second mile. I qualified for State by 1.1 seconds with a 12 second PR. That was probably the most surreal moment of my life.
Who would you consider your biggest competition over your four years?
I am a pretty competitive guy, so I’ve got plenty of answers for this one. Namely, my teammates Thomas Heegaard, Jack Henschel, and Owen Hoeft, from workouts to races we’re always racing each other, whether we like it or not.
What was your greatest accomplishment?
Helping the Hopkins team make it from the True Team WIld Card slot into 3rd place at State. I doubled in the 1600 and the 3200 and did exactly what I needed to for the team. Watching all my teammates erupt when the announced the results was way more gratifying than any individual record or PR I’ve run.
If you could do it all over again what would you change about your running career in high school?
I would have started running more, sooner. For my first 3 seasons, running was purely social, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but I think if I had started running with the big boys sooner I could’ve seen even more improvement than I did.
What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
Fortunately, I’ve never been injured in-season, so my obstacles have been pretty minimal. I guess the most prominent obstacle would be our team falling just short of going to State in Cross two years in a row. Coming that close Junior year was incredibly demoralizing, and it made me question whether or not it was worth what I was putting in, and as a result, I had a very subpar Junior track season.
What will you miss the most?
My teammates. I’ve ran thousands of miles with the Hopkins 5, I’m pretty sure I see them more than I see my own family. They have been my biggest supporters, critics, friends, and brothers. I can’t wait to watch them tear it up this coming season.
What advice you would give to younger athletes?
Don’t be intimidated and don’t think you’ll never be fast. My first 5K (Freshman year), I ran a 23:54, and barely made it under 21:00 by the end of the season. I looked at the varsity guys and thought to myself “They’re sooooo fast. I’ll NEVER be that fast!” Things have changed since then...
What influence has your coach had with respect to your performance and overall life goals?
Coach Mike Harris has been THE influence to my performances and life goals. He saw potential in me years before anyone else, myself included, did. He’s been up at 4:00 AM with me several times to make sure I was ready to race by 8:00, written up hundreds of custom workouts, and been an incredible mentor to me. Hopkins is in some of the best hands in the nation.
What are your college plans?
Next year, I will be running cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track as a Drake Bulldog. I knew from the start that I wanted a smaller school, and when I started my search Junior year, it was pretty much D2, D3, or no running, but after a solid senior season in Cross Country, D1 became much more of a possibility. Drake has an outstanding coaching staff, history, and venue for running, so it was a natural fit. I will be double majoring in Secondary Education and English, with hopes of returning to Hopkins as a teacher and coach (Thanks to Coach Harris for the inspiration).
Who would you like to say thank you to?
My parents, for all the support and love, both in running, and in life. The entire coaching staff of Hopkins, for being an inspirational, hardworking, and talented group. And all of my teammates, specifically Jack Henschel. He’s one to watch!
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Want to be featured in our Salute To Seniors series? Drop me a line: mntrackxc@gmail.com and answer the questions above! Congratulations to the class of 2013 on all of their hard work and success!