(Photo provided by Michael Schwinghamer)
First of all, how did you first start running?
I started running for gym class when I was in 6th grade. We lived in New Zealand for that year, and running was a requirement for our class. At the end of the school year, we got to race against some other schools, so I was pretty excited about that. Then we got back and I joined track, and I tried everything from pole vault to hurdles, and found the most success in distance.
What are all your personal records, including cross country?
5,000m - 16:04
3200m - 9:44
1600m - 4:32
800m - 2:00
400m - 53.5
Do you do, or have you done, any other sports?
I am a nordic skier, and have competed at the State competition the past two years. This year I missed All-State by one spot, and was 26th. I used to play soccer in a summer club through Cambridge-Isanti up until the summer after my sophomore year. I played basketball from 3-5th grade, but after scoring 4 points in one season, I decided that nordic skiing might be more for me.
What is your favorite or most memorable competition you've ever been in?
My most memorable competition that I have been a part of was probably the State cross country meet my senior year. It was pretty emotional, because we have a large group of seniors on our team, and the parents have been incredibly helpful throughout our whole careers. Our mindset going into that race was to just give it everything we can, and help our team out as much as possible. Perham was our main competition in that race, and we had been very competitive with them all year. They had actually beaten us both times we raced them. After the race, neither one of our teams knew who had won right away. It just came down to luck at the very end, and we came away with a 6 point swing, which is really almost nothing when you score 5 people and it was 93-99.
Mora has usually always had success with their distance runners, but what do you think made this particular team so special to be able to pull off three State Championships in a row for cross country?
I think that it was a good combination of coaches, and athletes willing to be coached. We get along with our coaches really well, and have a lot of respect for what they all do. The group of guys we have had the past three years have all worked incredibly hard, and we have had a team mentality. We look out for each other, and genuinely want everyone to succeed. We have a very tight-knit group of seniors, and are all good friends.
Other than your own talented teammates (or siblings), who are some of your favorite athletes to compete against?
I really like racing a lot of guys, and it's hard to really compare. We race against Tyler Moore and Hunter Zupko from Little Falls a lot considering we are in the same conference, and it is always a good time. Declan Dahlberg has also been a really good competitor, and he also does skiing, so I can see him for three seasons. Carl Kozlowski is also one of the toughest people that I have raced, and his kick broke me in the last 100 meters at Swain this past year! Zack Emery is also a really tough competitor, and always comes out towards the top of every race. Part of competing for me is getting to know the other athletes. I find that racing is a lot more fun if you know the guys who you are competing with, and are friends with them. I'm still very competitive and want to win more than anything, but after the race it is really important to be able to respect your opponent. You have to be able to say "good job" even if you lose, and mean it. Sports are supposed to be fun.
With your twin brother also on the team, would you say you both think and act similarly in how you each approach a competition, or do you approach it differently?
I think John and I both are very competitive, and I would say we have similar mentalities. I feel as though John has more of a "just go hard until something happens" mentality, and I have more of a strategy going into each race. It works differently, John has found a lot of success in skiing using that mentality, and can be competitive in almost any event 400 and up in track. I am more of a thinker, and feel like I am pretty calm and controlled while racing.
(Photo provided by Michael Schwinghamer)
What are your main goals for this upcoming season?
My main goals for this track season are to PR in all of my events, break the school record in the 3200 (9:37 set by the Cole Oslin last year), and qualify for State in the 3200 and the 4x800. Last year my State Meet was kind of bittersweet, getting outkicked in the two mile and watching Fairmont beat us ever so slightly in the 4x800, so I want to come back stronger and be happy with my races this year. I would also like to qualify for the Hamline Elite Meet, and see how we compare to some of the bigger AA schools.
Do you feel like your 4x800 has something to prove after what happened at the State Meet last year?
I don't think we necessarily have anything to prove, but we are all motivated for this year after graduating Cole Oslin. We will want to do as well as possible regardless of what happened last year. This is a new year, and we want to see how good we can be. I think we definitely have a focus of performing at the State Meet, but we know that anything can happen, and no race is quite the same.
Do you have any college plans yet?
My main goals for this track season are to PR in all of my events, break the school record in the 3200 (9:37 set by the Cole Oslin last year), and qualify for State in the 3200 and the 4x800. Last year my State Meet was kind of bittersweet, getting outkicked in the two mile and watching Fairmont beat us ever so slightly in the 4x800, so I want to come back stronger and be happy with my races this year. I would also like to qualify for the Hamline Elite Meet, and see how we compare to some of the bigger AA schools.
What are your biggest attractions to both of those schools? And will you be planning on running?
Yes, I am planning on running in college. I really like the coach at SDSU; Rod Dehaven seems like he knows what he is doing. He also seems very invested in his athletes, and has known exactly how each of them has been doing every time I have talked to him. I also really liked the campus in Brookings, and can sort of see myself going there. With Akron honestly I was really impressed with the development of Clayton Murphy, and it seems like it has been very into athletics. They also have the programs I would like to go into. And of course, it is the birthplace of Lebron James.
Do you have any rituals, routines, or superstitions either on or off the track?
Every meet day I wear a T-shirt supporting the New Zealand national rugby team, the All Blacks, so if you see me sporting one of those shirts then wish me luck. I just have to wear it before I warm up the day of my race. Right now I have two different ones, and they're both all black with a silver fern right above the heart. I've done that for every meet since about 8th grade, and so far it has worked well, so I think I'll continue the tradition! Other than that I'm not super superstitious.
When not accumulating miles or taking a left turn, what might we find you doing?
Probably either skiing, eating, sleeping, or watching Futurama. Or hanging out with the guys on my sports teams. We have a very tight-knit group, and we hang out with each other a lot. We've put in so many miles together, and we all know pretty much everything that goes on between us. We've been running and skiing and racing together for a very long time.
Tell me one bizarre fact about yourself.
On my left toe one of my sesamoid bones is split evenly in two
Were you born like that, or is it the results of an injury?
I think I was born like that, the doctors said that it was too smooth to be a fracture. I only know because my toe was bothering me in 9th grade, so I got an X-Ray and it showed up. I just took a week off of running and it hasn't bothered me since, so I don't think it is an injury.