Allen Matthews just finished his career at Butler High School. During his senior cross country season he earned Class AAA Second Team All-State Honors after finishing 23rd at the Kentucky State Cross Country Meet.
Personal Bests
1600 Meter Run4:33.22
2,000 Meter Steeplechase6:57.59
3000 Meter Run9:46.67
5000 Meter Run16:38.00
800 Meter Run2:03.59
What was your most memorable race?
My most memorable race will always be my first 5k race my freshmen year at Shelby Co. I ran JV and won, not in any spectacular time, but what 14 year old wouldn't get a huge confidence boost after winning their first high school 5k? It was just a great feeling that I'll always remember.
Where did you face your biggest competition?
The biggest competition that I faced was probably at Footlocker Regional my senior year. I didn't have my best race that day but it was still a good experience to get ready for the next level of running in college. I also met a lot of other great runners there as well who I'll hopefully get a chance to compete against next year.
Out of all of your high school accomplishments which stands out the most?
I never accomplished my main goal in high school which was to help my team win a state championship. Although it was a disappointing feeling that I never accomplished that feat., i think what stood out the most about my high school running career was being competitive and consistent throughout each season.
If you could do it all over again what would you change about your running career in high school?
I could think of hundreds of things, big or small, that i would change about my high school career. From training all the way down to my diet or whatever else there was. I'm sure every runner can look back and can find something they should have done better at practice, or in some cases the extra work that could always be done. I really wish though that this past XC season had gone better, considering nearly all of our varsity runners oddly had some sort of injury.
What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
I can think of two major obstacles which were hard for me to overcome throughout high school. The first would be my sophomore year. I started to hit great times then i began getting constantly sick throughout the rest of the season, for track too. My times dropped significantly and it really hurt my confidence. It took a lot of work to get back to where I should have been. The other obstacle was missing a lot of winter and track training from an I.T. band issue. It was hard getting back in shape but i felt like I was still able to have a decent track season for the most part.
What will you miss the most?
I can't say that I am going to miss that much honestly. I've met a lot of great runners over the years, many who I consider friends. What I'll miss the most though, are our three seniors who are going away to compete in college. I know they are going to do great things next year. The other four seniors are going to Spalding with me as well, and I'm really excited about that.
Do you have any advice for younger athletes?
For the younger guys, all I have to say is to just stay focused on your goals and what you desire out of this sport. High school can easily distract a kid and you have to be able to stay the course and work hard to reach your goals. It goes by fast, and you don't want to have to go out with any regrets your senior year.
What are your college plans?
Next year I am going to Spalding University and studying education. I haven't decided whether I want to teach high school or Special Education yet, but either way I think I will be happy with my job in the future. I'm excited to compete at the collegiate level along with four other Butler Alumni. I am also looking forward to helping build the program at Spalding and help the team make nationals in our first year at the D3 level. Like Coach K says on twitter , #TerreHaute2012. I'm really happy with my college plans and also proud to be a D3 athlete.
If you are senior and would like to be in the Senior Send-off, just email your answers to the questions below to jonathan@kytrackxc.com
