Coach John Nalley said you have the potential in the 800 to be as good as Peoria Central’s Dave Ayoub, who set the state record of 1:48.10 in 1977. Do you agree? Yes. If I go into the Saturday final feeling good, I think 1:48.10 is very doable. I feel very confident. I know there are a lot of great runners I haven’t run against. But that state record is very doable.
Is it hard to imagine that the state record for your event is more than 30 years old? Yes. A lot of records at Palatine are very old. It’s a good feeling to know that I am finally breaking old records. The 800 is very hard to run. In college, 800 runners are running 1:50. That is big-time for high school. The average winning time for high school is 1:51.
Last year, you won the 800 in the state meet in 1:52.57. How important is it for you to repeat? Very important. It will boost my confidence. It is anyone’s game. Someone might have a better day than me. But if my legs feel good and I am hydrated and the weather is good, nothing can bother me too much. Last year, we had bad weather and the meet was postponed for an hour before my race. I’ve got to go in with my ‘A’ game and do my best.
Coach Nalley said your goal is to win and run under 1:50. What about Ayoub’s state record? Breaking 1:50 would be good. I’m at the 1:51 barrier (1:51.4 in the Mid-Suburban meet, the fourth fastest time in the nation this spring). But the state record is always in my head. I’m always thinking about it. If I’m at 1:20 at the 600-meter mark, that would tell me that I am on course to break the state record.
What does it take to be a great 800 runner? Discipline. Doing the little things ... stretch, ice, sleep, good food, rest. Coaches don’t enforce that enough. You need great coaches, like John Nalley, Chris Quick, Fred Miller and Steve Currins. You have to love running. You can be great in your own area but if you’re talking about the national level ... well, when I got invited to compete in the Nike national meet next month in Greensboro, N.C., that tells you something.
What is your strategy? Run the first 200 meters in 25-26 seconds and the first 400 in 53. You have to be in good position at 200. If you are in the back of the pack, it’s iffy. If you’re going to win, you can’t be boxed in. In the last 200, it is anyone’s game. You have to have a lot of guts and desire. You’ve got to go get it.
Why did you commit to Wisconsin? It was the first school I visited last summer. Coach Jerry Schumacher showed me he is committed to what he is doing. They have a great track program.
Can there be a worse feeling that seeing someone pass you on the last turn? Yes, falling in the race would be right up there. But getting passed would be one of the worst feelings, trying to find an extra gear to fight off that person in the last 100 meters. Not too many people have that extra gear in the last 100 meters. A lot of people are maxed out at that point.
How much better can you get? I have room for improvement. The Nike national meet is a few weeks away and I think I’m right where I need to be. I want to run a sub-1:50 this weekend. But if I win and run 1:55, I wouldn’t be unhappy. Having two state titles in a row is very big and hard to do.
Are the Olympics a realistic goal? I think so. I can’t tell you what event I will be running in college. But I would love to run the 800 in the Olympics. I’m an 800 guy. I’d like to be known as an 800 guy, not a 1,500 guy.
How important has assistant coach Chris Quick been to your development? Very important. He has shaped me to be the person I am. He taught me everything about running and being a great person. I wouldn’t have gotten as far as I have without him.
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