Jacob Thomson is a senior at Holy Cross High School in Louisville. He is the defending Class A State XC Champion as well as a 7-time Class A State Track Champion. He qualified for Foot Locker Nationals last year and then finished up his junior year with PRs in the 800m- 1:56.13, 1600m-4:10.69, 3200m- 8:58.12, and 5000m- 14:34.78. He answered questions about this past track season and his upcoming year.
KY: In the past few months you’ve reached a new level by running sub-9:00 twice for 3200m, 4:10 three times for 1600m, and sub-14:50 twice for 5000m; with that consistency and your senior year of high school ahead of you, what are your expectations for the upcoming cross-country season?
JT: This track season I achieved every goal I set. My coaches and I set very high goals for myself and always strive to achieve them. New Balance definitely gave me a confidence boost going into this cross country season. Being so close to a guy like Jake Leingang who finished very high at Nike and Foot Locker last year gives me the confidence that I can run with anyone in the country. This season Foot Locker is my main goal. Being top 3 at Foot Locker is the only thing on my mind this season.
KY: At this point one pre-season national ranking has you ranked 7th overall; being the 5th returning finisher from the Footlocker National Final and national runner-up in the 5000 at the New Balance Outdoor Championships, do you feel added pressure this season compared to last season?
I don’t feel like the ranking added much pressure. It just adds some expectations. It doesn’t affect my training or racing though. I go out and do what I am supposed to do day in and day out.
KY: Over the past year you have faced the best high school runners in the nation multiple times; can you explain what you have gained from this experience and how it impacts your approach to training and competition as a senior? Do you mentally prepare differently or more confidently now knowing you have repeatedly faced the best at the highest level in high school?
To beat the best you have to race them as much as possible. Many guys get caught in awe when they see these guys at the big meets. I have been around them and raced them enough now that they feel like any competitor I normally face. One of the main reasons I have tried to face the top guys in the country as many times as I can is that I believe that you rise to the level of your competition. Seeing the times that the top guys in the country is one thing, but being in the mix with them is way more beneficial.
KY: When you look back at the last three years of training and your racing performance, you have continued to improve each year and are currently running PRs at every distance; can you explain how your training and competitive outlook continue to rise as you improve?
My training has been very consistent since my freshman track season. I feel I am a very strength oriented runner and can push through nearly anything, due to my training. I have been working to develop a foundation of tempo work without killer mileage or too much speed work. My performances have showed this as well. I could have busted more speed workouts and possibly ran a faster 1600 this year, but I am trying to focus on a consistent long term progression. My training is setting me up to make the transition to college easier and to be ready to compete at the next level.
KY: Last season in cross-country your schedule was very competitive in the first few weeks of racing - you faced elite national competition in three races in September. Will your schedule be similar this season or will you take a different approach with training and racing?
This season my training is not set up for me to run as fast early. That doesn’t mean I won’t be out doing all I can to PR and win, but last year I needed to run fast times early to establish myself as one of the top runners in the nation, where as this year the focus is all on the post season. I will still be running at Terre Haute in Indiana, Trinity, and Great American this year with the intention of running fast times on historic courses, but I feel I am more content to simply focus on racing and not get caught up with the time or outcome. I know what I am capable of doing at the highest level now so my focus is on preparing for the post season.
KY: Entering your senior year as a pre-season Top 10 prospect in the nation, the college recruiting process will be enjoyable and challenging; with interests from the top running programs and academic intuitions in the country, what are you looking forward to most in the decision making process? What factors will influence your decision on narrowing your selection to 5 official visits?
The college search as begun and it won’t be easy. I am looking for a program that fits me personally, and a coach that has the same training philosophies I used in high school. I want to go to a place where I will be on a championship caliber team at the NCAA D1 level. Being from such a small school I have not had much opportunity to compete as a team in cross country. I am looking forward to having a team to train with every day. I also don’t want to go somewhere where I will be a top runner as a freshman. I want to be pushed to earning a spot in the top 7, and I want to have my best years as a junior and senior.
KY: At the local level, you improved your ranking as one of the All-time best in Kentucky state history in Track; as you near the beginning of your senior season of Cross-Country, does leaving your mark in sport of Cross-Country factor into your daily motivation? Historic Cross-country times and courses are subjective to equal comparison, but having run sub-14:40 as a junior on the track, do you foresee sub-14:40 or sub-14:30 within range for you this season on the course?
Bobby Curtis is always in the back of my mind. I will definitely be chasing records this year in order to leave my mark on Kentucky. My main goal is to finish top 3 at Foot Locker, as Bobby did, and I do believe sub-14:40 is well within range for me on a cross-country course. It has to be or I'm going to have a difficult time making it where I intend to be a year from now preparing for 8-10K at the D1 level.
KY: A look back… In our cross-country pre-season interview last season you stated goals of finishing in the Top 5 at the Footlocker National and winning the Footlocker South Regional; with more experience and far greater success competing at that level, are these goals more attainable this year than last year?
Being in touch with the lead pack at 2miles at Foot Locker will be my main goal this year, and I am much more confident and prepared to achieve the goals I set last year.
KY: On a lighter note, how crazy does it drive you when you see your name as Thompson or Thomason?
People spell my name wrong all the time, so it doesn't bother me. I'm used to it.
KY: You had PR's across the board last spring from 800 to 5000 meters, which of those times are you most proud of looking back now? Why that particular time?
My PR's from every event matched up perfectly on the Jack Daniels v-dot chart. I am pretty proud of that because it shows my strength and diversity as a runner. But if I had to pick one it would be my 8:58 at Eastern Relays. Even though it wasn't a PR, running the fastest 3200 on Kentucky soil was pretty special to me.