Photo provided by Addison Stansbury
Personal Records:
400: 51.8 split
800m - 1:58.60
1600m - 4:25.60
3200m - 9:42.06
5K (xc) - 15:50.60
2016 State XC - 32nd
2017 State T&F 2017 - 3rd 4x800 relay
What city were you born in?
I was born in Eden Prairie and lived there until I was 4 years old, then we moved to Sante Fe, NM. When I was in 7th grade we moved to Stillwater, MN.
What sports did you grow up playing and which ones did you play in high school?
I played just about every sport but was mostly involved with swimming, basketball, and soccer. I was involved with soccer into my 9th grade year but played for the C squad. I have two letters in track & field and one in cross country.
Tell us about your beginnings as a distance runner.
I have been in track & field since the 7th grade but ran the 800 meter dash. We never ran more than 4 miles in a practice. I did break Wayde Hall's record in the 800 though having run a 2:13 as an 8th grader. Then in 9th grade I ran a 10:22 3200 and that made me decide to run cross country for the first time as a sophomore.
What is it like to be on such a competitive team like Stillwater?
It's mostly good because certain individuals lead different practices. For example, Yonas O'Malley often leads when we do long runs. Noah Johnson mostly leads when we do sprints. Between the two of them and others on the team I get the best of workout partners.
What mistakes do you see beginning runners make? What would you say to them?
At Stillwater some young kids will try to run with the best runners during our 300 meter sprints. However the older kids quickly get them to stop because they could get hurt by attempting to train so hard and also run races. Just because you can run a few sprints with the top runners does not help you if you are tired or hurt on the day of the race! We have 84 boys on our team this year.
Give us your individual and team predictions for Section 4AA this year. Why do you think certain teams will be tough?
The top five individuals could be Acer Iverson of Roseville, and perhaps my teammates Joe Hesse-Withbroe and Lars Dewall. Any myself too. The top three teams might be Stillwater, White Bear Lake and Roseville.
How do things shape up for the conference titles?
These will be a bit of a different mix of teams and I do not know them as well. However the top three teams could be Stillwater, Mounds View, and White Bear Lake. Mounds View and Stillwater should have a strong battle for first place. As for the individual title it should come down to the following folks in no particular order: David Dahl and Austin Streit of Mounds View, Acer Iverson, and Hesse-Withbroe of Stillwater.
How do you feel about how you did in the 2016 MSHSL State Cross Country Meet?
That was probably the only race where I ran without my inhaler last year. However I have probably outgrown my allergies and shouldn't need it this year.
Give us a description of your training over the years. Have you changed what you have done from year to year?
The biggest and most beneficial thing for me was when as a sophomore I ran for the first time during the summer. I started out running 25 miles per week to eventually running 60 miles per week by the end. I achieved the 500 mile goal of our summer program. Then this last summer I basically did the same thing but most runs were 20 seconds faster.
You had an Illiotibial Band problem before your sophomore track & field season. How did you fix the problem?
OSI Physical Therapy gave me hip exercises and roller tasks to help me get over it.
It took me about 1.5 months to get over it. The reason why I developed the problem in the first place is I disobeyed Head Coach Scott Christenson's orders and started running before January. We are supposed to take some time off after cross country and again after track & field.
Do you have a favorite workout?
4 x mile with a 5 or 6 minute recovery break. This break could be anything you want but I try to keep jogging until the next repeat. Coach Christenson said that this is the most important workout and you do not want to miss it.
Do you do any sprint training or do you prefer to stick to speed endurance workouts?
Yes, during both track & field and cross country. The coach sets up cones around the track and we do flying 30's on every straight-away.
Who are your favorite athletes?
Ben Blankenship, former Stillwater runner who ran at the Rio Olympics. I also like Mo Farah who won the 5000 and 10,000 at the last two Olympic Games.
What spikes, shoes, apparel, etc. do you wear?
I do not spend a lot of money on clothing and shoes. I have five pairs of Pegasus 33s for training and regular Nike spikes.
What is your diet like?
During the summer we always run in the morning, and I do it without eating anything. But once the school year begins it's a little tougher because I eat the school lunch, and you do not have much time to digest your food for the workout. You can feel the difference. I run best if it's been several hours since I last ate! Four or five hours are not too many hours to go without eating in my case.
Tell us about your race strategy?
I do sometimes experiment a bit with different styles during the season. Ultimately we like to go out hard and be with the lead pack for the following reasons:
1. We like to stay away from people so we do not get bumped or tripped.
2. It gives me confidence to run from the front.
3. Sometimes you lose mental strength when you get 50 meters behind
another runner.
Do you have any plans for after high school?
I want to run for a division one school. At this point I have only received contact from division three schools.
Is there anything else we need to know?
The running community needs to know about my Frisbee Disc Golf hole-in-one!
