Logging over 30,000 miles throughout their high school careers, 11 senior boys track and field runners are experiencing the rewards of their training.
Running an average of 500 miles collectively per week, the boys strove to achieve greatness among their competitors in the St. Louis area.
“Right away I knew the class [of 2018] was special,” John said. “We had a few of them run varsity freshman year and work their way up, which was impressive since it’s rare to have multiple freshmen get promoted.”
The senior boys currently have nine spots among the top 25 leaderboard lists for boys track and field.
“Having so many guys on the top 25 just shows how hard we’ve all worked, everyone on that list deserves it,” senior sprinter Chris Bass said.
Bass is listed on the top 25 list for the 200-meter dash and the 400-meter dash, along with being a member of the medal-winning 4×200 and 4×400-meter relay teams.
“When I met Chris as a freshman, I knew he was destined for greatness,” track coach Kristen Witt said. “He has a great work ethic and he is a leader on the team.”
Aside from sprinting, the track team also has a core of award-winning distance runners. Seniors Blake Selm and Cerow Aligab are listed on the top 25 ranks for the 1600-meter run and the 4×800-meter relay team consisting of seniors Matyas Csiki-Fejer, Andrew Lofgren, Selm and Aligab are listed as the 13th fastest relay team among all high schools in the St. Louis area.
“We have good team chemistry,” Aligab said. “Running with these guys for the last four years has definitely helped us to become closer.”
In addition to these boys, senior Nathan Stucki ran over 1,000 miles during the offseason (November through February), averaging nine to 12 miles per day, and becoming a member of the “1,000-mile club.”
“[Running 1,000 miles] started out as a joke, but then I actually did it,” Stucki said. “I probably didn’t do as much speed work as I should have, but it still felt amazing to finish. There was one day where I ran 16 miles to make up for the miles that I lost while I was sick.”
Track and field athletes from around the St. Louis area are especially elite, according to KSDK sports reporter Frank Cusumano.
“I think competition is very stiff in the area. Lots of kids train year-round and are involved with the AAU track programs,” Cusumano said.
The performances of boys on the track have attracted the attention of college recruiters, with Bass choosing to sign with Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa and Aligab signing with Missouri University of Science and Technology.
“I’m very excited to continue my running career at Indian Hills,” Bass said. “They have a good program and I look forward to my future. I’ll try to consistently run below 50 seconds, and that can get me a spot on their 4×400 team.”
![Holding the disc, senior Nathan Thompson waits for an opportunity to pass to senior Timmy Fry. Parkway United’s ultimate frisbee team is made up of students from each of the four Parkway schools. “The one thing I really like about ultimate [frisbee] is the community because it’s so different from any other sport I've been a part of. [My] national teammates are people who we play against in the regular season, so we see each other all the time. It's always fun hanging out with [them],” Thompson said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/C96A6823-1200x800.jpg)
![Senior Josie Grunzinger watches the football game intently from the sidelines on Oct. 18. Grunzinger stood out to the crowd as the only girl on the football team, encouraging other girls who want to play football to take a chance and go for a sport outside of their comfort zone. “If you think you could [play football] and you want to do it, just try it, because all it takes is to actually try it out,” Grunzinger said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Untitled-design-1200x675.png)
![With her arms held high, junior Jenna Rickelman throws the ball across the pool during a girls water polo practice. With hours of practice after school and over the summer, Rickelman saw many improvements in her water polo skills. “When I look at [my] stats, I'm so much better than I was last year,” Rickelman said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Untitled-design-2-.png)
![Putting on his helmet, catcher and senior Tommy Eschbach prepares to get in his primary stance. Despite losing 6-1 against Eureka on April 16, Eschbach didn’t let the tough loss affect his playing or mental health. “It's [so] easy to get caught up in the sport and what you're doing that [after] one bad game or a stretch of games it is hard to remind yourself that your worth as a person isn't directly related to your performance on the field,” Eschbach said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/DSC_0415-1-1-1200x800.jpg)
![Sports organizations have changed lives on and off the field, improving athletes’ muscle strength, reducing their risk of diseases and building energetic work capacity worldwide. However, many student-athletes struggle to balance schoolwork and athletic commitments, hoping to seek more understanding and support from their teachers and coaches. “To lessen mental strain student-athletes [face] and create a healthier, more comfortable lifestyle, there shouldn’t be any homework. I'm already [at school] for eight hours and [homework] creates a bigger load for student-athletes in AP or honors classes,” track and field sprinter and sophomore Lucy Penton said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/DSC_0095-1-e1713883278514-1200x847.jpg)
![At the Spring Pep Rally on March 8, boys varsity water poloist and junior Jack Brau stands with the boys water polo team. The group, hoping to include everyone — whether boy or girl, varsity or JV — cheered on the girls water polo team during the sports team runouts. “Even though we all play separate games and have different practices, we like to see ourselves as one big group who represent one water polo [team],” Brau said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/DSC_8810-1-1200x800.jpg)
![Looking for an open teammate, freshman Patrick May passes the ball across the court at the Nov. 28 game against Parkway Central. May started in the game against the Colts. ”Growing up, [my parents] always gave me a basketball, [and] we had a basketball hoop outside. I grew up playing [all the time], playing on the [driveway] and shooting hoops with my dad.” May said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/image2-1-1200x801.jpg)
