Parker Wilhoit
Roseville Area High School
What are all your personal records?
800 meters: 2:08 relay split
1600 meters: 4:42.70
3200 meters: 10:09.24
5k xc: 16:45.80
How did you get started as a track/ cross country athlete?
I first joined Roseville's cross country program in 7th grade after pressure from my dad who had been a marathon runner and a fellow teammate Eamon Kuhne who had done cross country the previous year. Growing up I had always been involved in local 5ks and fun runs so it seemed natural that once I got to middle school I would join the cross country and track teams.
What was your most memorable competition?
My most memorable competition has to be the Section 4AA cross country meet this past fall. Going into the race I was right on the bubble for individually qualifying for the State Meet which had been my main goal for the entire season.The race conditions had been nearly perfect with the temperature in the mid 60s and little to no wind. The race started out relatively quick with my first mile being right around 5:10. At this point I was in the 8th and final individual qualifying spot. My coaches had been telling me what position I was in for the entire race so I knew exactly where I needed to be. I knew that if I got passed by just one person my state dreams would be gone. I went through the two mile mark around 10:35 which was uncomfortably fast but I knew that I couldn't drop now, I had just one more mile to go and I was still hanging in the last qualifying spot right with Kade Hagen, a St. Paul Central athlete who was in the 7th qualifying spot. We were neck and neck with 400 meters left in the race but I could feel him slightly starting to pull away. With 200 meters left I ran up the last hill and was able to see the finish line. At this point athletes were starting their final kicks towards the finish but I could feel that something wasn't right. I physically could not push myself any faster and I felt my form starting to break down. I was trying to push myself to go faster but my body just wouldn't cooperate. With just 20 meters left in the race I felt my legs give out and I collapsed to the ground. I tried as hard as I could to get back up but I had nothing left. I watched as a Woodbury athlete passed me and finished, taking the last individual qualifying spot for the state meet. I almost immediately burst into tears and used all my strength to stand back up and cross the finish line. I finished in a time of 16:55.20 which still managed to be a one-second personal best. As soon as my body was across the finish line I collapsed again. The medical staff and my teammates dad picked me up and dragged me to an open area away from the finish line. They called for an ambulance and I was rushed to the hospital. While at the hospital I took the time to take in everything that had just happened. I realized that although my final sections race did not turn out the way I wanted it to, I should be thankful for all the things I accomplished along the way and all of the friendships I have made. Cross country taught me more than just how to be a decent runner, it taught me how to be a leader, good teammate, and inspiration to other runners.
Who were your biggest competitors in your track/XC career?
I've always been very competitive with the boys from Mounds View and White Bear Lake. At the end of each summer the top runners from White Bear Lake, Mounds View, and Roseville, all go down to Whitewater State Park and run/camp together for five days. I was able to attend Whitewater my sophomore, junior, and senior year. Whitewater gave me the unique opportunity to actually train with and get to personally know my competitors from other schools. I've also had the opportunity to compete against the runners of the Suburban East Conference numerous times over my career. A few individual competitors who stand out would be Finn Sokolowski of Mounds View, Peter Michalowicz of Woodbury, Matt Payne of Stillwater, and my own teammate Caleb Schultz.
What was your greatest accomplishment as a track/XC athlete?
My greatest running accomplishment would have to be just the growth that I've seen in myself over the past six years. When I joined cross country in 7th grade I finished my season with a 5k personal best of 21:24, not terrible but definitely nothing unheard of. During my 7th grade track season I developed achilles tendonitis in both of my achilles. This forced me to sit out almost all of my 8th grade cross country season and when it came around to track that year I decided not to participate because of fear that I would again injure myself due to over training. Going into my freshman year of cross country I had done little to no training and lost most of my motivation as a runner. I started out that season running a 25:53 5k and then nearly quit the sport completely. I'm so thankful that I didn't quit! On the last day of that season we did a mile time trial and I ran a 5:59 which at the time I thought was a pretty fast time for myself. I decided that I would do track that season because I was tired of being slow and wanted to improve myself as much as I could. I finished my freshman year of track with a personal best of 5:19 in the 1600 and 11:58 in the 3200. That season helped to spark my love for running. Going into 10th grade I gradually started training more and more. I finished 10th grade with a 5k personal best of 18:28 which had been a massive jump from where I was at during 9th grade. During track I set personal bests of 2:10 in the 800, 4:51 in the 1600, and 10:46 in the 3200, continuing to take seconds off my times race after race. Going into XC during 11th grade I finally put in a legitimate full summer of training and boy did it pay off. I finished that season with a 5k pr of 16:56 which was over a minute and a half faster than what I ran the previous year. I continued to train during the winter of that year which also noticeably paid off during the track season. I ran personal bests of 2:08 in the 800, 4:47 in the 1600, and 10:17 in the 3200. On paper I had a bit of a disappointing senior season in both track and XC, having only pr'd by 11 seconds in the 5k and 8 seconds in the 3200 but I personally I feel that senior year has been my most successful. For the first time in my career I had been able to actually make a difference in how my team did during races and I had nearly punched myself a ticket to State and the end of cross country season.
If you could do it all over again, what would you change about your track/XC high school?
I wish I would've taken all of the little things more seriously. I never took sleep or nutrition too seriously up until just last year and even now I'm still inconsistent. I've never been a huge fan of post-run core workouts and stretching but I've definitely come to recognize the importance of them. It's easy to push the little things aside but they're necessary if you want to push yourself to the next level.
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How have your coaches been an influence to you as an athlete and a person?
There is absolutely no way I'd be where I am today without the coaching staff at Roseville. Head coach/varsity coach Brian Bailey did not give up on me as an athlete. He's always pushed me to compete as hard as I possibly can. Coming from a runner who was averaging 22 minute 5ks just three years ago he's taught me that hard work really does pay off.
What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
As I stated earlier in the article, I collapsed during the Section 4AA cross country race and narrowly missed out on qualifying for the State Meet. Working extremely hard towards the goal of making State only to come up just 20 meters short was mentally devastating for me. I raced my final XC race at Nike Cross Regionals two weeks after sections and I was still a bit mentally thrown off. Coming into track season I decided that rather than having that race hold me down I could use it as inspiration to help me perform better.
What will you miss the most about high school track/XC?
The entire atmosphere of cross country and track. There's something about being able to compete against runners from other schools that is just exhilarating. Everyone is determined to do their best and it creates an exciting environment to be in. I'll also miss the community that comes with running. Cross country and track gave me the opportunity to become friends with people who I otherwise never would have met.
What advice would you give to younger athletes?
Set your goals high. If you're determined enough you can accomplish nearly anything. As a freshman I can recall setting a goal to break 19 minutes in the 5k by the end of high school which at that point seemed pretty far out. Now here I am today with a PR of 16:45, a whole two minutes and 15 seconds ahead of that goal. I never would have expected to be where I am today but with hard work, determination, and a lot of support, I was able to achieve more than I ever could have imagined.
What are your post-graduation plans?
I will be attending Iowa State University where I plan to Major in Architecture with a Minor in Business. I also plan on joining their competitive running club.
Who would you like to say 'thank you' to?
I'd like to thank my parents for supporting my running over the last six years. I want to give a huge shoutout to all my teammates and coaching staff who I've had the pleasure of training with, especially the guys who did winter running with me these past two years. I also would like to thank my fellow cross country and track captains at Roseville. I'd like to give a final thank you to Michael Kuhne who has been cheering me on at races my entire career.
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
The Roseville Boys cross country team runs a decently successful Instagram page. I'd highly recommend following us @xc_dads.
