State Champion Sound-Off
Did you win a state championship this past weekend? There were a lot of you out there and KYtrackXC.com was able to interview a few but could not get anywhere near them all. Now this is your chance as KYtrackXC.com is doing a "State Champion Sound-Off." Take the questions below, answer them, and email them to kytrackxc@gmail.com.
John Michael Griffith won the Class AA 3200m Run in a new PR of 9:38.
Personal Bests
3,200 Meter Run9:38.43
5,000 Meter Run16:34.70
800 Meter Run2:00.74
One Mile Run4:26.78
1) What event did you win?
JMG: I won the 3200 in Class AA
2) What kind of strategy did you have going into your event?
JMG: I knew going into the state meet Friday that Nicholas Laureano was going triple because he had the week before at regionals. We had talked about the chances of him not only winning individual titles but a team title, so knowing that Nick was going for the team win, I sat out both the 1600 and the 800 in order to be as fresh as I could before the 3200. In regards to the race I went in trying to sit behind whoever chose to lead until the sixth lap because I trusted my training and after going around 2:00 in the 4x800 earlier that day I was confident I could close faster than anybody in the field. I believe I followed my plan as best I could. Not leading until after the mile, and just sitting behind whoever wanted to lead up until there was a 700 left then I began to prepare for my kick and I was able to take the lead and hold on to it from there.
3) If this was your first state championship, what kind of emotions and thoughts did you have immediately after winning? If this was another state championship for you joining others, how does this one compare to the prior one?
JMG: After I won I felt relieved, all the hard work throughout the track season had all been towards this moment. One of the only things I remember thinking to myself was how Ethan, my teammate, finished in the race. Once I saw that he had finished fourth we shared a moment of joy together as we both saw all of the hard work we had put in to this season pay off. The feeling of joy was one I had never felt before and can only be described as an emotional moment.
4) Did you do anything different when it came to your training this season?
JMG: Several differences in my training occurred, but this is only natural when a new head coach comes in. I stopped playing soccer which allowed me to run more miles and become more fit. I also did more speed work to work on my speed and my kick at the end of races. Another one of the major differences I have to thank Coach Alessandro for establishing a distance program at Highlands again. This season we had 6 runners run under 2:10 in the 800, Highlands was not able to field a 4 by 800 relay in 2012. This was a major change for me and the program.
5) Besides winning state, what was another highlight of your season?
JMG: Another highlight of my season was being part of the fourth place team at state, and seeing my teammate and friend, Ryan Greene, win the 400 meter dash. This was our highest team finish since 2008 and the first state champions for our current coaches.