By Jack Harvey

In 2012, the Lane Boys Track 4×800 became the first CPS team to win the state championship in this event. Jonathon Vara, Div. 473, David Schmieg, Div. 482, and Pavlo Hutsalyuk, Div. 561, went with the team as alternates that year.

“We watched the guys get first, and I guess it just inspired us to want to do the same,” Hutsalyuk said.

However, last year the 4×800 team did not make it to the state finals because of a poor showing in the state preliminary rounds.

“We had a great season, but we did bad at the state preliminaries and so we didn’t make it to the state finals,” Vara said.

“Last year we learned that we can’t go into any meet thinking that we’re just easily going to get the win,” Schmieg said. “We got ahead of ourselves and thought we could easily qualify for finals, and then we didn’t.”

That failure is what motivated the five of them over the summer to put in work for not only the track season, but also for the cross country season as well.

“They did a tremendous amount of reflecting and running this summer in preparation for cross country,” Track head coach Kris Roof said. “They knew that if they committed themselves to training hard and having fun during cross country then the dividends would pay off during Track and Field season.”

The group feels as though they still have a lot left to prove.

“We’ve always been looked down on by other schools because they don’t think city kids can perform at the elite level and don’t belong at the state meet. So anytime we get the opportunity, we’re trying to prove those people wrong this season,” Vara said.

Lane does not have an indoor track like many of the suburban schools that the team competes against, which makes training more difficult.

“Because of our concrete jungle urban setting we have always considered ourselves a team built around the mid-distance philosophy for high school distance running,” Roof said.

The team trains a certain way based on weather.

“We trained with higher mileage because we knew in the winter we wouldn’t be able to always get a run in,” Vara said.

After cross country season ended, the runners had two weeks off before the beginning of the track season.

“We didn’t finish the cross country season the way we wanted and the time is running out for us seniors. So we want to be on the same page as the season starts so we can start off strong,” Vara said.

The 4×800 and the other long distance runners help to set the tone for the whole Track program.

“They hold each other accountable and undeniably support each other. We are talking about guys like Pavlo and Christian who have GPA’s 4.0 and higher. The coaches have to do very little policing with our distance runners,” Roof said. “They understand that they will reap the benefits only if they stay focused, keep everything in balance, and continue to have fun.”

This year’s 4×800 team is made up of Hutsalyuk, Schmieg, Vara, and Oswaldo Lorenzana and Chritian Badillo who switche off as alternates for the fourth spot in the race.

Roof was not surprised when the 4×800 finished with the best time in state at their first meet.

“It was clear when they were racing that they have put in the work in the weight room, logged the winter mileage despite the atrocious winter, and displayed the required amount of confidence to fight for a state championship,” Roof said.

The group knows they have to keep working hard if they want to achieve the goals they have set for themselves.

“Even though we’re ranked first in state right now, we know that every other team wants to beat us,” Schmieg said.

“For them redemption and a State Championship is the ultimate goal. There is also the possibility of some of those guys winning individual state medals as well,” Roof said.

While Hutsalyuk is a junior, the four of seniors on the 4×800 team, Vara, Schmieg, Lorenzana, and Badillo are all attracting interest from Division One colleges. Schmieg is committed to running track at University of Illinois.

The Boys and Girls track teams have sent nine runners to Division one colleges in the last four years, and these four will likely add to that total.