First of all, how did you
first start running?
I first started running in 8th grade. I threw
shot and discus in 7th and 8th grade but
decided to join the distance squad and cross country to get in shape for
hockey. My parents said I couldn't quit for three weeks; it was my choice after
that. But I ended up loving running way more thought I would, so here I am.
What are all your personal
records, including cross country?
5k-15:54
3200m-9:32
1600m-4:31
Do you do, or have you done,
any other sports?
I currently Nordic ski and run cross outside of track. I played
hockey and baseball, and also shot trap freshmen year.
What is your favorite or
most memorable competition you've ever been in?
It would have to be Nike Cross Nationals. The race was only a
small part of it; the overall experience was something I will never
forget. It was crazy just sitting at the course thinking about how far
I've come over the last five years.
Other than your own
teammates, who are some of your favorite athletes to compete against?
Definitely the other Lake Conference guys. We see them many
times throughout the year and often into the off season, especially with Edina
in Portland this year. They all fight hard in races but most of us are
good friends off the track.
Who are some people that
have been most helpful to you in your athletic career?
My parents, of course, for getting me into running and
supporting me ever since. I attribute my success as a runner to my coaches,
however. Our distance coaches Mark Popp, Eric Jahn, Brandon Heebink, John
Lambert, Andrew Hansen, and Kyle Rasmussen are phenomenal. They bring an
incredible amount of experience and knowledge to our program, and have really
shown me how to be a dedicated runner. They work with us year round (except for
the no contact periods of course) and put in an incredible amount of time both before
and after school helping my team and I become better runners. I don't
think I'd be running anywhere close to what I am without them.
We posted an article last XC season about which
seniors had most improved since freshman year, and you were the subject of our
cover photo. Back when that first photo was taken, could you have pictured
yourself improving so much as a runner?
Not a chance. Back then I ran only because I wanted to get in
shape and loved hanging out with the team. Of course I still tried to be as
fast as I could, but I figured I'd be lucky to finish in the top two-thirds of
my team my senior year. I always had it
in my mind that I wanted to make it to the top, but it didn't become a
realistic goal until my sophomore year.
The last few years,
Wayzata has had an incredible JV distance team which you ran on until this
year. Was it ever discouraging not being on your team's A-team for so long, or
was it really motivating for you?
It was extremely
motivating. Of course there were always times where I wished I could have been
running varsity, but there is no question that I wouldn't have improved so much
without those guys to chase. It was always very inspiring for me to see what
kinds of runners Wayzata could produce, and showed me what I should be working
towards and what I could be capable of.
What are your main goals for
this upcoming track season?
Of course I'll be shooting for the State Meet, but from our
section it's a lot easier said than done. Other than that I'm looking to
cut my two mile time down as much as I can for Hamline and True Team, and just
enjoy my last season before college.
What is something you
have learned through your running career that you would like to pass down to
the youngsters and underclassmen runners after you?
Be
consistent, and do the little things. The biggest improvement I made was when I
started to consistently run through the season and off-season. Being consistent
in your training in general, as well as the little things (strength/core work,
stretching, strides) will definitely pay off for you in the long run,
especially in injury prevention. The longer you can go without injury, the more
consistently you can train and the better you will be.
(Photo provided by Jeremy Gilbertson)
Do you have any college
plans?
At this point, I plan on majoring in physics and running at
Gustavus Adolphus.
What were some of the things
that most attracted you to Gustavus?
I looked
at several schools of all types, and it came down to Colorado Mines and
Gustavus. I like Gustavus the most because it supports my career interest very
well, but also gives me a lot more flexibility to pursue other interests
outside of my academics and running. The coaches there are awesome, the team
philosophy and atmosphere is very similar to Wayzata, and it really seem like
they are on the upswing, so I am excited to contribute to that.
Do you have any rituals,
routines, or superstitions either on or off the track?
Our team is pretty low key before races. I just like to go
through each lap of the race in my head, thinking of where I want to be and
what moves I want to make throughout the race.
When not running miles or
running on ovals, what might we find you doing?
Hanging out with my teammates, on the lake fishing, in the
woods, or sitting down with my guitar. I'm not gonna say senior slide has hit
yet, but it's been a pretty relaxing year.
Tell me one bizarre fact
about yourself.
My teammates like to tell me I fish way too much. For example,
on our training trip the Colorado I found a random fishing rod and started
catching trout while the guys were taking an ice bath in the stream. I'm also
going to State for Muskie fishing this year with a teammate. Hmmm...Maybe they're
right...
