4 x 800 Meter Relay 5-26-2007 State Meet Finals
5th Place 7:50.20 Tom Sideras, Zach Dahleen, Mike Marbach, Kevin Adamowski
Tom Sideras 56.4 - 60.2 --- 1:56.6
Zach Dahleen 56.9 - 60.6 --- 1.57.5 Mike Marbach 58.3 - 60.2 --- 1.58.5 Kevin Adamowski 60.8 - 55.9 --- 1:56.7 4 x 800 Finals Results 4 x 800 Prelims Results Coach O'Malley's State Meet race splits |
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STATE MEET 4 x 800 METER FINALS STATE MEET 4 X 800 METER PRELIM #3
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Coach O'Malley
I was recently asked, what is your favorite part of coaching? The obvious response is, “relationships.” But that answer was insufficient to me. If someone asked me what my favorite part of parenting is, “relationships” would be an alarmingly deficient response. So I thought about it some more. What I love most is the relationships of athletes and coaches and parents and the community in the context of building something together. There is an ascent. A feeling of being in it together, with the knowledge that what we are building will reach a climactic moment. The relationship will continue, but the feeling of building together may not. This is also known as a “season.”
My first four year season occurred with a group of young men (including my 22 year old self!) who ultimately would journey together through the end of the track season in 2007. I had recently been hired as a teacher and coach at Sandburg. I coached the track season successfully in 2003 which culminated in Tim Kelly earning an all-state medal in the 1600. I figured I had it all figured out. As I coached that track season I kept a careful eye on the 8th graders, knowing they would be my first class I would travel the four year high school journey with. They looked good. I went to some meets and talked to them. They joined our summer camp and the journey began with me running with them, getting to know them. Over the course of four years, our bond would be so tight that it lasts to this day. It started on a little run at the forest preserve in which I started with Kevin Adamowski, a talented, hard working 14 year old who I knew immediately would be the centerpiece of our program. I changed over and started talking to Brad LaRocque. Within three minutes we were both yelling at each other in excitement. He had on a white undershirt and was maybe 5’3” but had the intensity of a football coach on the sidelines of a state championship. Throughout that run, I circled back to Tom Sideras, Justin Smith and a few more. Justin was reticent but had that rock solid unwillingness to to ease the effort that makes up any great endurance athlete. He was unshakeable and as composed as any senior we had. Sideras was tough and excited. He wasn’t worried about how far ahead Rock and Mighty Mouse were, he just kept grinding with an upbeat attitude. By the end of the run, I was sure we were going to win a state championship. What basis did I have for this assessment? Did I ever have a summer to assess talent before? None. Nothing. I just felt a connection and excitement and felt that we were meant for each other.
That was June 2003. I felt that we were meant for each other.
It’s summer 2020. I still feel that way.
And so, on that weekend in Charleston in 2007, it was four guys on a track, more in the stands, and the culmination of four years of all of those boys and me together on the trails and track. It’s my favorite part of coaching.
I had always said the 4 x 800 was a waste of resources. Typically, to get an all-state medal in Illinois, you needed roughly three all-state worthy 800 runners to accomplish such a feat. Wait. Three all-staters to get one all-state scoring position? To be honest, part of me still feels that way, but that’s another story. Regardless, I was hesitant to invest so much in one scoring position when we could do more elsewhere. It needed to be perfect in my mind. You needed four guys who were bubble state level kids who could add up to be better than they could be individually. Meanwhile, Coach Novak continually advised me to run the 4 x 8, saying it was a culture builder. I listened but needed to see the pieces to make sense to invest. I still do. Why, for instance, use a top five 1600 runner on the anchor of a 4 x8 to take 6-7th place? And if you want to compete in the 4 x 8, you better have a competent anchor leg, one capable of top five in the 800 or 1600. Also, in my first two seasons of coaching I had coached back-to-back all-state medals in the 1600 in Tim Kelly and Brian Glaza. I loved the 1600. Still do. But I kept an open mind.
Ultimately, four strong legs came together and I devised a plan to qualify the 4 x 8 and still get two 1600 runners to state in Tom Sideras and Kevin Adamowski. It worked. Good: I still had my milers. So we went to Charleston ready to run the relay on Friday but I was still focused on the mile.
Friday. Tom Sideras led off and showcased my lack of experience. He didn’t look like he felt like he belonged. As a coach, I didn’t belong. At the back of the pack, he lingered. Dead last one lap in. I thought that this was not going to work, I’ll have to shut this down and save Adamowski on the anchor for the 1600. But in the second 400 he found his competitive edge and ran some guys down and put us in a strong position, splitting 1:56 and handing off to sophomore Zach Dahleen. Zach would go on to be an absolute monster for us, running 14:33 at Detweiller and 4:10.1 in the 1600 as a senior. But here he was a sophomore in the thick of his first state meet ever and surrounded by tough competition. Would he fold? Not Z. Man did he close it down. As I watched on the inside of the track with my workers pass, hand holding the stop watch, I felt like we were in a good spot but I was eyeballing things constantly, ready to tell our anchor to jog his leg and save himself for the mile later. I knew what the other heats had run, I watched the clock, I watched our position. Zach closed like a freight train, something I came to rely on for the following two years. He handed off in 2nd place, moving up from 6th that Sideras handed him. Mike Marbach assumed the third leg. Marbach was running “off event.” He was at that point more of a 3200 or 1600 runner. He ran the equivalent of his PR, 2:00, but we lost a good :02 from the front end with most of the third legs running around 1:58. I had about 10 seconds to decide the fate of the 4 x 8. Adamowski knew I would be waiting at the 300 marker would tell him to either shut it down or go for it. I looked at the clock and our position. Back in 5th spot, well off from 4th, a large gap to make up, I had to decide what to do with my anchor leg who could either sacrifice himself now for the team or be saved and secure an all-state medal in the mile. He had qualified for state three years in a row in the 1600. He was ready to earn his medal. I saw the stop watch. I liked what I saw. I saw our position: fifth in our heat and well off from fourth? Only 12 make it in three heats. We are in 5th and that doesn’t include the other heats! Adamowski took off around the first curve. He knew I would give him instructions. I yelled, “Run em down, Mouse. Put on your cape. Run em down.” I wanted him to go for it. At this point, an enormous knot formed itself in my gut. What If Mouse burns himself up right now and ruins his shot at the 1600 AND we don’t qualify for Saturday’s finals? I had come up with a formula prior to the meet based on previous five years of data, knowing what would make the finals and what wouldn’t. I had a split in mind: 5:55. If Marbach handed off in 5:55, I would let Mouse fly. I don’t remember exactly what our split was, but I do remember feeling like I had a solid hand in poker that could lose but was strong enough to push my chips in. All in.
Mighty Mouse flew. He rapidly cut the gap down. By this point in his career, I had an unrealistic confidence that Mouse could run down anyone in any situation. I’d seen it so many times for so many years. Sure enough, by the end of the first 400, Mouse was upfront. The energy spent was costly but he fought hard enough to get us into finals. I looked down at my stop watch and saw something I had never seen before: 7:49 and change. Our school record at the time was from 1977, literally 30 years old. And we had just bettered it by five seconds. With Mouse’s fight for the win, we suddenly realized that we could win the next day, something we probably didn’t believe seven minutes and forty-nine seconds earlier. Those seven minutes changed every belief I’ve had in our runners’ abilities for the rest of my career.
We met in the hotel room later that night. And I said, “we’re going to win tomorrow.” Smiles across the room. The belief was evident. I knew we were going to race in a way that we hadn’t that day. We raced brilliantly, but there was only one guy who believed he belonged at the front. Tomorrow there would be four.
Saturday. Going to the track that day was a mix of emotion, as it always is on Saturday at the state track finals. It’s one of my favorite moments of the year for my favorite weekend of the year. And loading up and driving to the track is as heightened a sense of emotion as you can get. Excitement, nerves, gratitude, reflection, and sadness that this would be the final ride together. Typically, when we get back to Sandburg after this race, we say our final goodbyes and this would be one I would never forget. I remember telling Marbach that his teammates needed him; they needed him to close like he’s never closed before. I remember seeing Sideras walk around with his smile and a new confidence. Sophomore Dahleen was a proven monster after yesterday’s 1:56. I just needed to get out of his way. Adamowski’s mile dreams were over, but he seemed more focused and determined for this relay than ever before.
And sure enough, when the gun went off, we raced with the swagger that proven champions have. Sideras bolted toward the front right away and fought like hell to hold people off for the remaining 600 meters. We were in great position. Dahleen ran as well as he did the day before, closing well and giving Marbach the stick toward the front right on the leaders. The race tightened more severely than I have ever since seen five laps into a state 4 x 800. The entire field was bunched up with less than a second separating. How would Marbach close once someone launched? Five teams separated and Marbach was one of them. He closed like he had never closed before. For his teammates. A :02 PR. Mouse had a shot. The field of anchors opened up in a jog of 60 seconds. No one wanted to go yet. With 300 to go, Mouse launched his patented 300 meter kick. It was an all out sprint. Only him and York would even go with that kind of pace so far out. Mouse was pulling a Prefontaine. He had cut down the lead, took it from way out and was going for the win. The alternative would have been safe and I guarantee would have resulted in a 2nd place finish. Mouse paid a price for his bold move as he locked up in the final meters and was passed to secure 5th, only :01 separating the first five teams. But Mouse did what I would prefer. It was a testament of belief. It was the move that turned Sandburg into runners who believe we are capable of championships. The four teammates met on the infield,totally exhausted in the mutual quest for a shared experience and accomplishment. Soon, they collected medals around their necks and left together.
It’s the way I hope we all finish.
The difference between our racing on Friday and our racing on Saturday was quite dramatic. On Friday, we were racing with the question of whether or not we belonged. On Saturday, we not only knew we belonged, but we raced to win. And that is the difference that this group of runners made for me and my coaching career. Since then, that 7:49 I saw on my watch on that Friday set the stage for the ten year average of 7:44 we’ve recently had. One does not happen without the other. It’s a matter of belief. These guys gave us that belief.
I was recently asked, what is your favorite part of coaching? The obvious response is, “relationships.” But that answer was insufficient to me. If someone asked me what my favorite part of parenting is, “relationships” would be an alarmingly deficient response. So I thought about it some more. What I love most is the relationships of athletes and coaches and parents and the community in the context of building something together. There is an ascent. A feeling of being in it together, with the knowledge that what we are building will reach a climactic moment. The relationship will continue, but the feeling of building together may not. This is also known as a “season.”
My first four year season occurred with a group of young men (including my 22 year old self!) who ultimately would journey together through the end of the track season in 2007. I had recently been hired as a teacher and coach at Sandburg. I coached the track season successfully in 2003 which culminated in Tim Kelly earning an all-state medal in the 1600. I figured I had it all figured out. As I coached that track season I kept a careful eye on the 8th graders, knowing they would be my first class I would travel the four year high school journey with. They looked good. I went to some meets and talked to them. They joined our summer camp and the journey began with me running with them, getting to know them. Over the course of four years, our bond would be so tight that it lasts to this day. It started on a little run at the forest preserve in which I started with Kevin Adamowski, a talented, hard working 14 year old who I knew immediately would be the centerpiece of our program. I changed over and started talking to Brad LaRocque. Within three minutes we were both yelling at each other in excitement. He had on a white undershirt and was maybe 5’3” but had the intensity of a football coach on the sidelines of a state championship. Throughout that run, I circled back to Tom Sideras, Justin Smith and a few more. Justin was reticent but had that rock solid unwillingness to to ease the effort that makes up any great endurance athlete. He was unshakeable and as composed as any senior we had. Sideras was tough and excited. He wasn’t worried about how far ahead Rock and Mighty Mouse were, he just kept grinding with an upbeat attitude. By the end of the run, I was sure we were going to win a state championship. What basis did I have for this assessment? Did I ever have a summer to assess talent before? None. Nothing. I just felt a connection and excitement and felt that we were meant for each other.
That was June 2003. I felt that we were meant for each other.
It’s summer 2020. I still feel that way.
And so, on that weekend in Charleston in 2007, it was four guys on a track, more in the stands, and the culmination of four years of all of those boys and me together on the trails and track. It’s my favorite part of coaching.
I had always said the 4 x 800 was a waste of resources. Typically, to get an all-state medal in Illinois, you needed roughly three all-state worthy 800 runners to accomplish such a feat. Wait. Three all-staters to get one all-state scoring position? To be honest, part of me still feels that way, but that’s another story. Regardless, I was hesitant to invest so much in one scoring position when we could do more elsewhere. It needed to be perfect in my mind. You needed four guys who were bubble state level kids who could add up to be better than they could be individually. Meanwhile, Coach Novak continually advised me to run the 4 x 8, saying it was a culture builder. I listened but needed to see the pieces to make sense to invest. I still do. Why, for instance, use a top five 1600 runner on the anchor of a 4 x8 to take 6-7th place? And if you want to compete in the 4 x 8, you better have a competent anchor leg, one capable of top five in the 800 or 1600. Also, in my first two seasons of coaching I had coached back-to-back all-state medals in the 1600 in Tim Kelly and Brian Glaza. I loved the 1600. Still do. But I kept an open mind.
Ultimately, four strong legs came together and I devised a plan to qualify the 4 x 8 and still get two 1600 runners to state in Tom Sideras and Kevin Adamowski. It worked. Good: I still had my milers. So we went to Charleston ready to run the relay on Friday but I was still focused on the mile.
Friday. Tom Sideras led off and showcased my lack of experience. He didn’t look like he felt like he belonged. As a coach, I didn’t belong. At the back of the pack, he lingered. Dead last one lap in. I thought that this was not going to work, I’ll have to shut this down and save Adamowski on the anchor for the 1600. But in the second 400 he found his competitive edge and ran some guys down and put us in a strong position, splitting 1:56 and handing off to sophomore Zach Dahleen. Zach would go on to be an absolute monster for us, running 14:33 at Detweiller and 4:10.1 in the 1600 as a senior. But here he was a sophomore in the thick of his first state meet ever and surrounded by tough competition. Would he fold? Not Z. Man did he close it down. As I watched on the inside of the track with my workers pass, hand holding the stop watch, I felt like we were in a good spot but I was eyeballing things constantly, ready to tell our anchor to jog his leg and save himself for the mile later. I knew what the other heats had run, I watched the clock, I watched our position. Zach closed like a freight train, something I came to rely on for the following two years. He handed off in 2nd place, moving up from 6th that Sideras handed him. Mike Marbach assumed the third leg. Marbach was running “off event.” He was at that point more of a 3200 or 1600 runner. He ran the equivalent of his PR, 2:00, but we lost a good :02 from the front end with most of the third legs running around 1:58. I had about 10 seconds to decide the fate of the 4 x 8. Adamowski knew I would be waiting at the 300 marker would tell him to either shut it down or go for it. I looked at the clock and our position. Back in 5th spot, well off from 4th, a large gap to make up, I had to decide what to do with my anchor leg who could either sacrifice himself now for the team or be saved and secure an all-state medal in the mile. He had qualified for state three years in a row in the 1600. He was ready to earn his medal. I saw the stop watch. I liked what I saw. I saw our position: fifth in our heat and well off from fourth? Only 12 make it in three heats. We are in 5th and that doesn’t include the other heats! Adamowski took off around the first curve. He knew I would give him instructions. I yelled, “Run em down, Mouse. Put on your cape. Run em down.” I wanted him to go for it. At this point, an enormous knot formed itself in my gut. What If Mouse burns himself up right now and ruins his shot at the 1600 AND we don’t qualify for Saturday’s finals? I had come up with a formula prior to the meet based on previous five years of data, knowing what would make the finals and what wouldn’t. I had a split in mind: 5:55. If Marbach handed off in 5:55, I would let Mouse fly. I don’t remember exactly what our split was, but I do remember feeling like I had a solid hand in poker that could lose but was strong enough to push my chips in. All in.
Mighty Mouse flew. He rapidly cut the gap down. By this point in his career, I had an unrealistic confidence that Mouse could run down anyone in any situation. I’d seen it so many times for so many years. Sure enough, by the end of the first 400, Mouse was upfront. The energy spent was costly but he fought hard enough to get us into finals. I looked down at my stop watch and saw something I had never seen before: 7:49 and change. Our school record at the time was from 1977, literally 30 years old. And we had just bettered it by five seconds. With Mouse’s fight for the win, we suddenly realized that we could win the next day, something we probably didn’t believe seven minutes and forty-nine seconds earlier. Those seven minutes changed every belief I’ve had in our runners’ abilities for the rest of my career.
We met in the hotel room later that night. And I said, “we’re going to win tomorrow.” Smiles across the room. The belief was evident. I knew we were going to race in a way that we hadn’t that day. We raced brilliantly, but there was only one guy who believed he belonged at the front. Tomorrow there would be four.
Saturday. Going to the track that day was a mix of emotion, as it always is on Saturday at the state track finals. It’s one of my favorite moments of the year for my favorite weekend of the year. And loading up and driving to the track is as heightened a sense of emotion as you can get. Excitement, nerves, gratitude, reflection, and sadness that this would be the final ride together. Typically, when we get back to Sandburg after this race, we say our final goodbyes and this would be one I would never forget. I remember telling Marbach that his teammates needed him; they needed him to close like he’s never closed before. I remember seeing Sideras walk around with his smile and a new confidence. Sophomore Dahleen was a proven monster after yesterday’s 1:56. I just needed to get out of his way. Adamowski’s mile dreams were over, but he seemed more focused and determined for this relay than ever before.
And sure enough, when the gun went off, we raced with the swagger that proven champions have. Sideras bolted toward the front right away and fought like hell to hold people off for the remaining 600 meters. We were in great position. Dahleen ran as well as he did the day before, closing well and giving Marbach the stick toward the front right on the leaders. The race tightened more severely than I have ever since seen five laps into a state 4 x 800. The entire field was bunched up with less than a second separating. How would Marbach close once someone launched? Five teams separated and Marbach was one of them. He closed like he had never closed before. For his teammates. A :02 PR. Mouse had a shot. The field of anchors opened up in a jog of 60 seconds. No one wanted to go yet. With 300 to go, Mouse launched his patented 300 meter kick. It was an all out sprint. Only him and York would even go with that kind of pace so far out. Mouse was pulling a Prefontaine. He had cut down the lead, took it from way out and was going for the win. The alternative would have been safe and I guarantee would have resulted in a 2nd place finish. Mouse paid a price for his bold move as he locked up in the final meters and was passed to secure 5th, only :01 separating the first five teams. But Mouse did what I would prefer. It was a testament of belief. It was the move that turned Sandburg into runners who believe we are capable of championships. The four teammates met on the infield,totally exhausted in the mutual quest for a shared experience and accomplishment. Soon, they collected medals around their necks and left together.
It’s the way I hope we all finish.
The difference between our racing on Friday and our racing on Saturday was quite dramatic. On Friday, we were racing with the question of whether or not we belonged. On Saturday, we not only knew we belonged, but we raced to win. And that is the difference that this group of runners made for me and my coaching career. Since then, that 7:49 I saw on my watch on that Friday set the stage for the ten year average of 7:44 we’ve recently had. One does not happen without the other. It’s a matter of belief. These guys gave us that belief.
Tom Sideras opening leg 1:56.6 ALL STATE
Senior year – where everything is one last time. I was lucky enough to have had O’ Malley be our coach for cross country and track since freshman year. This man has an absolutely impeccable skill to motivate and train his team. I still remember him yelling on the track, “How bad do you want it?”. Well, my final high school lap came down to that.
So, let’s take a big step back. When people think of track season, they think spring racing weather. Well if you ran track you know the work was done during the winter. Coming off a rough ending to our cross country season, motivation was not very high. Coach was there for us, and we trained hard that winter. It wasn’t over for us yet. Going into state track prelims, confidence was pretty high. We didn’t have a ton of competition in the 4x800 throughout the year. When the gun went off in prelims, everyone in my group cut-over hard before the first turn. While something like that during the regular season wouldn’t have been that impactful to the start, it was a big problem with 12 people in the race. That put me pretty far behind the pack. Luckily, I was able to have a pretty quick second lap and the team took care of the rest. We qualified for finals and managed to get the school record at the time.
Day two. I knew I couldn’t make the mistake I did the previous day with the start of the race. As soon as the gun went off, I took the lead in my lane. It gave me solid positioning going into the second lap. Three hundred left to go and I took the lead. We trained countless times finishing hard with 300 to go. Two hundred to go I was like alright time to sling shot into the finish. One hundred left to go…. things got rough. My legs got extremely heavy. It felt like I was powering forward, but with bricks on my feet. I powered with everything I had. I don’t remember how I managed to get the baton in Zach’s’ hand, but I know if he was one step farther, I would have fell short.
Unfortunately, I don’t remember a whole lot about the middle of the race, but I remember watching Zach eat that track up. His stride took up space and moved him forward so fast. I remember watching Zach and Mike so focused during that race and they never let up. They kept us in contention the whole time.
Mouse had an epic career of kicking down his competition. Once he had his focus on something, it was game over. No matter how far behind he was in any race, he always found a way to get the job done. People knew that if he was behind, you better set your eyes on him because he was about to do something amazing. His legs churned so fast during that entire race. The pack was just staying steady, keeping their energy for the end. Kevin wasn’t about that. He made them work for it. The last 100 was extremely tight with a finishing time less than a second between first and fifth place. While the placement we got wasn’t what we may have wanted, we gave it everything we had until the end and that’s all you can ask for.
While the high school races may have ended years ago, the memories and friendships will last forever.
Tom Sideras
Class of 2007
Senior year – where everything is one last time. I was lucky enough to have had O’ Malley be our coach for cross country and track since freshman year. This man has an absolutely impeccable skill to motivate and train his team. I still remember him yelling on the track, “How bad do you want it?”. Well, my final high school lap came down to that.
So, let’s take a big step back. When people think of track season, they think spring racing weather. Well if you ran track you know the work was done during the winter. Coming off a rough ending to our cross country season, motivation was not very high. Coach was there for us, and we trained hard that winter. It wasn’t over for us yet. Going into state track prelims, confidence was pretty high. We didn’t have a ton of competition in the 4x800 throughout the year. When the gun went off in prelims, everyone in my group cut-over hard before the first turn. While something like that during the regular season wouldn’t have been that impactful to the start, it was a big problem with 12 people in the race. That put me pretty far behind the pack. Luckily, I was able to have a pretty quick second lap and the team took care of the rest. We qualified for finals and managed to get the school record at the time.
Day two. I knew I couldn’t make the mistake I did the previous day with the start of the race. As soon as the gun went off, I took the lead in my lane. It gave me solid positioning going into the second lap. Three hundred left to go and I took the lead. We trained countless times finishing hard with 300 to go. Two hundred to go I was like alright time to sling shot into the finish. One hundred left to go…. things got rough. My legs got extremely heavy. It felt like I was powering forward, but with bricks on my feet. I powered with everything I had. I don’t remember how I managed to get the baton in Zach’s’ hand, but I know if he was one step farther, I would have fell short.
Unfortunately, I don’t remember a whole lot about the middle of the race, but I remember watching Zach eat that track up. His stride took up space and moved him forward so fast. I remember watching Zach and Mike so focused during that race and they never let up. They kept us in contention the whole time.
Mouse had an epic career of kicking down his competition. Once he had his focus on something, it was game over. No matter how far behind he was in any race, he always found a way to get the job done. People knew that if he was behind, you better set your eyes on him because he was about to do something amazing. His legs churned so fast during that entire race. The pack was just staying steady, keeping their energy for the end. Kevin wasn’t about that. He made them work for it. The last 100 was extremely tight with a finishing time less than a second between first and fifth place. While the placement we got wasn’t what we may have wanted, we gave it everything we had until the end and that’s all you can ask for.
While the high school races may have ended years ago, the memories and friendships will last forever.
Tom Sideras
Class of 2007
Zach Dahleen leg #2 1:57.5 ALL STATE
As a sophomore and the youngest member of the relay team, I remember feeling a lot of pressure. This was my debut race at THE state meet, and up to this point I had never experienced a race so important. I’m not one to show nervousness, but before every race I felt the adrenaline coursing through my veins. Knowing that I was not going into this race alone eased my mind. We had two seniors on this squad who would be running their final high school races that weekend. I knew that I had to step up and have my best race to keep up with these seasoned competitors.
I do not remember my portion of the race that clearly. Since the race was 13 years ago and I was in the early stages of my running career, my two minutes seemed to be a blur. I recall that Tom came rolling down the home stretch right off the shoulder of 1st place. It was all happening so fast, it was almost my turn to carry the baton. The officials began to line us up for the 2nd leg, and I was placed in the 4th or 5th slot based on who was in the lead. Suddenly, the official grabbed me and said, “Sandburg! Move to the 2nd position.” I could see Tom charging around the turn heading into the straight-away. Tom handed me the baton, then unbeknownst to me, took a face plant.
My style of running was always to go out moderate, then pick off the other runners in the final 300m. I held the front pack within my grasp and on the turn heading into the final lap, I went to lane two to pass everyone as they began to settle into their pace. I remember thinking, ‘wow these guys aren’t as fast as I thought they’d be.’ It was always intimidating racing varsity runners, especially at the state meet; but I was surprised to be leaving them in the dust on the back stretch. As I rounded into the homestretch, my kick began to plateau and I held on at the same pace as the other runners. In the final 50 meters, a York runner caught me by surprise by merging aggressively into my lane. This interfered with my stride and I had to adjust my pace, which slightly threw off my rhythm; but I locked onto him, and followed him closely into the baton exchange where I handed off to Marbach. I was catching my breath on the infield and only caught Mike’s second lap. He had a gutsy race and held the pack through the hand off to Kevin, which gave us great position for the final leg. All season long, I saw Kevin confidently kick down runner after runner, so I knew he was our most reliable anchor. On his first lap, he threw himself right into position, running off the shoulder of first place. He was going for the win with determination, and wasn’t going to settle for anything less. It was tough to see the whole race from where I was standing on the infield, and as the blanket finish concluded, I had no idea how we placed.
The 4 of us had trained together for months all the way through June at Nike Nationals (We ran the 4xmile). Over that time, I learned a lot from these guys on a competitive and even a social level. They were 3 guys that I really looked up to, role models that inspired me to become the runner that I am today.
The elusive All-State medal is something sought after by every high school runner. Earning this status as a sophomore carried my confidence and experience through the rest of my running career. Races like these can define who you are as a person, and shape you as a runner. Coach O’Malley always talked about the importance of character, and this is something I carry with me today. While winning races, setting PR’s and getting medals are important things, the biggest take away that I have from this experience is the camaraderie of our team. I am proud of our accomplishment because we left everything we had on that track.
Zach Dahleen
Class of 2009
As a sophomore and the youngest member of the relay team, I remember feeling a lot of pressure. This was my debut race at THE state meet, and up to this point I had never experienced a race so important. I’m not one to show nervousness, but before every race I felt the adrenaline coursing through my veins. Knowing that I was not going into this race alone eased my mind. We had two seniors on this squad who would be running their final high school races that weekend. I knew that I had to step up and have my best race to keep up with these seasoned competitors.
I do not remember my portion of the race that clearly. Since the race was 13 years ago and I was in the early stages of my running career, my two minutes seemed to be a blur. I recall that Tom came rolling down the home stretch right off the shoulder of 1st place. It was all happening so fast, it was almost my turn to carry the baton. The officials began to line us up for the 2nd leg, and I was placed in the 4th or 5th slot based on who was in the lead. Suddenly, the official grabbed me and said, “Sandburg! Move to the 2nd position.” I could see Tom charging around the turn heading into the straight-away. Tom handed me the baton, then unbeknownst to me, took a face plant.
My style of running was always to go out moderate, then pick off the other runners in the final 300m. I held the front pack within my grasp and on the turn heading into the final lap, I went to lane two to pass everyone as they began to settle into their pace. I remember thinking, ‘wow these guys aren’t as fast as I thought they’d be.’ It was always intimidating racing varsity runners, especially at the state meet; but I was surprised to be leaving them in the dust on the back stretch. As I rounded into the homestretch, my kick began to plateau and I held on at the same pace as the other runners. In the final 50 meters, a York runner caught me by surprise by merging aggressively into my lane. This interfered with my stride and I had to adjust my pace, which slightly threw off my rhythm; but I locked onto him, and followed him closely into the baton exchange where I handed off to Marbach. I was catching my breath on the infield and only caught Mike’s second lap. He had a gutsy race and held the pack through the hand off to Kevin, which gave us great position for the final leg. All season long, I saw Kevin confidently kick down runner after runner, so I knew he was our most reliable anchor. On his first lap, he threw himself right into position, running off the shoulder of first place. He was going for the win with determination, and wasn’t going to settle for anything less. It was tough to see the whole race from where I was standing on the infield, and as the blanket finish concluded, I had no idea how we placed.
The 4 of us had trained together for months all the way through June at Nike Nationals (We ran the 4xmile). Over that time, I learned a lot from these guys on a competitive and even a social level. They were 3 guys that I really looked up to, role models that inspired me to become the runner that I am today.
The elusive All-State medal is something sought after by every high school runner. Earning this status as a sophomore carried my confidence and experience through the rest of my running career. Races like these can define who you are as a person, and shape you as a runner. Coach O’Malley always talked about the importance of character, and this is something I carry with me today. While winning races, setting PR’s and getting medals are important things, the biggest take away that I have from this experience is the camaraderie of our team. I am proud of our accomplishment because we left everything we had on that track.
Zach Dahleen
Class of 2009
Mike Marbach leg #3 1:58.5 ALL STATE
Given Sandburg’s recent stretch of dominance in the 4x800, a lot of people might see a 5th place finish / non-record setting race on the results sheet and wonder what classifies it as a triumph. I can see how they would initially arrive at that conclusion. To give you a perspective on how incredible Sandburg’s recent history has been, it took us 30 years to break that school 4x8 record and it feels like it’s been broken close to 30 times since then. It’s been fun to watch how far the program has come since my days donning the blue and gold jersey – and that is a direct testament to the work of Coach O’Malley. Coach – I don’t think you’ll ever truly know how important you have been to each athlete that has had the privilege to be under your tutelage. I was fortunate to be a part of a team that created some incredibly memorable races that are housed in the archives of Sandburg distance running. The 2007 State 4x800, more than any other race that I was a part of, proved that champions are created by the character that they bring to the sport, not by the seconds on the stopwatch.
The first time that the concept of us putting a competitive 4x8 together even came up was the winter before the track season. Coach O’Malley pulled me aside in the weight room after practice one day and said, “You are going to be part of a state champion 4x8 relay this spring.” I think I literally laughed on my way out of the weight room – I was a 2:07 800 runner at that point. But one of Coach O’Malley’s greatest skills is creating ways for athletes to believe in seemingly impossible outcomes. Sure enough, we put the four of us together early in the track season and started having a lot of success in the 4x8. By the time that we got to State, we had won pretty much every race that season, set a few meet records along the way, etc. so we knew we would have a shot at making some noise at State.
Despite being 13 years ago, I still remember that entire race from my vantage point on the track and countless moments are tattooed on my brain. The first moment where I thought we were going to win the race without a doubt was seeing Tom Sideras get to the break point on the back stretch of the first lap. Sure enough, Tom was out in front leading the race from the gun. We started on the outside alley and Tom got in perfect position to command the race. That sent a shiver of excitement down my spine and put a smile on my face. This was important because Tom got crowded to the back of the race in Prelims and had to work extra hard to get us back in a position where we could even make the Finals. Watching Tom lead the race from the gun was one of the most energizing moments of my Sandburg career. He came through the first lap blazing and was a step off the leaders. At that point, he charged hard on the backstretch, caught the leaders and made a move to challenge the lead coming off the final turn. I remember standing on the homestretch doing strides before my leg of the race and just seeing how much pain was on Tom’s face. I’m sure that last straight away seemed like the longest of his career but he dug deep and got the baton to Zach right with the leaders. The second that the baton was in Zach’s hand, Tom face planted onto the track and barrel rolled into the infield. He used every ounce of energy in his body and literally left EVERYTHING he had on that track. To this day, I still don’t know how Tom got the baton into Zach’s hand cleanly – he practically dove to make the hand off. Tom’s leg of that race was one of the gutsiest performances I have ever seen.
When I think of Zach’s leg of the relay, I think of sheer power. Zach had a way of making hard running look effortless. During the second leg of that race, a few of the leaders got a bit excited and went out a little hard on their first lap. Zach hung on them and just waited for his time to strike. Z hit a gear that I have never seen on the backstretch of lap two. I have never seen someone cover so much physical space with each stride. Z looked like a thoroughbred stallion with how much distance he was covering with each footstep. He charged harder than I have ever seen and started picking the lead group off one by one. Watching Zach kick into gear and dominate the backstretch was the second moment where I thought that nobody would be able to beat us in that race. I remember getting in position for the hand off, watching Z come around the final turn with his bounding stride and thinking how intimidating it must have been for the other racers in that leg to watch this thoroughbred just break their hearts as he charged past them.
Zach got the baton to me in perfect position. As I went around the first turn, I was tucked in right with the lead pack. I remember thinking how bizarre it was that the field had not thinned out by this point of the race. It felt more like the beginning of a cross country meet than a track event, as the race was still quite crowded and no one had broken away yet. I was by far the weakest leg of our four in that squad and had gotten separated a bit from the leaders in Prelims, so I knew that I had to remain within striking distance to give Kev a chance. The only thought that went through my head during my leg was “HOLD THE PACK…JUST HOLD”. I didn’t have the strength that Tom had, the powerful stride of Zach, or the foot speed of Mighty Mouse. I knew that my role was the set up guy and I would do whatever it took to keep us in a position to win. I had run 2:00 flat for my last three races, including Prelims, but knew that more would be needed in Finals. I remember getting to the backstretch on lap two and being completely boxed in. I made the decision to slow down a step or two so that I could get away from the inside and then surged to catch back up with the pack. As I got to the 200 meter to go mark, I was able to slingshot around the turn and reengage with the leaders. I kicked with everything I had in that race and ended up with a career PR of 1:58.
There is a reason that Kevin Adamowski’s nickname is Mighty Mouse – he is the closest thing to a super hero that I have ever encountered. During my time running for Sandburg, I had watched Mighty Mouse win countless come-from-behind races, and here he was in the State Finals, baton in hand, right with the leaders. Kevin has this killer instinct, where regardless of the circumstances, he finds a way to create magic when a race is in his hands. I had witnessed it in dozens of races – the 2007 Eagle Classic 4x400 to win the meet (his third race of the night), multiple years of making up a huge deficit in the 4xMile at the Tinley Relays, and so many others. I remember the York anchor slowing the race way down to set it up for a kicker’s finish. Mouse had none of that. He put in a heavy race load the day before, running the 4x8 and Mile prelims, but even with tired legs, Kev went right to the front and challenged the leader. The great thing about Kevin is that he would rather die running his race than let a runner with fresh legs (the York anchor sat out Prelims) dictate the outcome. At this point the lead pack was still 5-6 teams deep and there Kev was challenging for the lead after pouring his heart onto the track the day before in Prelims. He stayed shoulder to shoulder with the York runner for the entire race. I remember watching him get to the 150 to go mark tied for the lead and seeing how fast his feet were turning over. It was surreal. Like Zach Dahleen, Kevin had one of the strongest kicks I’ve ever seen. There is no one else that I’d rather have than Kevin Adamowski in the last 200 meters of a race. Watching him come around the turn kicking his brains out, was the final moment of that race that will stick with me forever. The ending of that race looked like the end of a 4x100 relay. Five teams were shoulder to shoulder extending from lanes 1-5 and the gap from first to fifth ended up being less than a second difference. Ultimately, a couple of guys that sat behind Kevin the entire race edged him out, but he was a champion in my mind that day.
So when I say that there is more to a race than the finishing time or place, that’s what I mean. The four of us gave everything we had and could walk away knowing that we competed like champions. I wouldn’t trade that 5th place outcome for anything, because of the character of the guys we did it with and the journey that got us there. Within that seven minutes and fifty seconds lives a lifetime of memories that I will forever cherish.
Go Eagles.
Mike Marbach
Class of 2008
Given Sandburg’s recent stretch of dominance in the 4x800, a lot of people might see a 5th place finish / non-record setting race on the results sheet and wonder what classifies it as a triumph. I can see how they would initially arrive at that conclusion. To give you a perspective on how incredible Sandburg’s recent history has been, it took us 30 years to break that school 4x8 record and it feels like it’s been broken close to 30 times since then. It’s been fun to watch how far the program has come since my days donning the blue and gold jersey – and that is a direct testament to the work of Coach O’Malley. Coach – I don’t think you’ll ever truly know how important you have been to each athlete that has had the privilege to be under your tutelage. I was fortunate to be a part of a team that created some incredibly memorable races that are housed in the archives of Sandburg distance running. The 2007 State 4x800, more than any other race that I was a part of, proved that champions are created by the character that they bring to the sport, not by the seconds on the stopwatch.
The first time that the concept of us putting a competitive 4x8 together even came up was the winter before the track season. Coach O’Malley pulled me aside in the weight room after practice one day and said, “You are going to be part of a state champion 4x8 relay this spring.” I think I literally laughed on my way out of the weight room – I was a 2:07 800 runner at that point. But one of Coach O’Malley’s greatest skills is creating ways for athletes to believe in seemingly impossible outcomes. Sure enough, we put the four of us together early in the track season and started having a lot of success in the 4x8. By the time that we got to State, we had won pretty much every race that season, set a few meet records along the way, etc. so we knew we would have a shot at making some noise at State.
Despite being 13 years ago, I still remember that entire race from my vantage point on the track and countless moments are tattooed on my brain. The first moment where I thought we were going to win the race without a doubt was seeing Tom Sideras get to the break point on the back stretch of the first lap. Sure enough, Tom was out in front leading the race from the gun. We started on the outside alley and Tom got in perfect position to command the race. That sent a shiver of excitement down my spine and put a smile on my face. This was important because Tom got crowded to the back of the race in Prelims and had to work extra hard to get us back in a position where we could even make the Finals. Watching Tom lead the race from the gun was one of the most energizing moments of my Sandburg career. He came through the first lap blazing and was a step off the leaders. At that point, he charged hard on the backstretch, caught the leaders and made a move to challenge the lead coming off the final turn. I remember standing on the homestretch doing strides before my leg of the race and just seeing how much pain was on Tom’s face. I’m sure that last straight away seemed like the longest of his career but he dug deep and got the baton to Zach right with the leaders. The second that the baton was in Zach’s hand, Tom face planted onto the track and barrel rolled into the infield. He used every ounce of energy in his body and literally left EVERYTHING he had on that track. To this day, I still don’t know how Tom got the baton into Zach’s hand cleanly – he practically dove to make the hand off. Tom’s leg of that race was one of the gutsiest performances I have ever seen.
When I think of Zach’s leg of the relay, I think of sheer power. Zach had a way of making hard running look effortless. During the second leg of that race, a few of the leaders got a bit excited and went out a little hard on their first lap. Zach hung on them and just waited for his time to strike. Z hit a gear that I have never seen on the backstretch of lap two. I have never seen someone cover so much physical space with each stride. Z looked like a thoroughbred stallion with how much distance he was covering with each footstep. He charged harder than I have ever seen and started picking the lead group off one by one. Watching Zach kick into gear and dominate the backstretch was the second moment where I thought that nobody would be able to beat us in that race. I remember getting in position for the hand off, watching Z come around the final turn with his bounding stride and thinking how intimidating it must have been for the other racers in that leg to watch this thoroughbred just break their hearts as he charged past them.
Zach got the baton to me in perfect position. As I went around the first turn, I was tucked in right with the lead pack. I remember thinking how bizarre it was that the field had not thinned out by this point of the race. It felt more like the beginning of a cross country meet than a track event, as the race was still quite crowded and no one had broken away yet. I was by far the weakest leg of our four in that squad and had gotten separated a bit from the leaders in Prelims, so I knew that I had to remain within striking distance to give Kev a chance. The only thought that went through my head during my leg was “HOLD THE PACK…JUST HOLD”. I didn’t have the strength that Tom had, the powerful stride of Zach, or the foot speed of Mighty Mouse. I knew that my role was the set up guy and I would do whatever it took to keep us in a position to win. I had run 2:00 flat for my last three races, including Prelims, but knew that more would be needed in Finals. I remember getting to the backstretch on lap two and being completely boxed in. I made the decision to slow down a step or two so that I could get away from the inside and then surged to catch back up with the pack. As I got to the 200 meter to go mark, I was able to slingshot around the turn and reengage with the leaders. I kicked with everything I had in that race and ended up with a career PR of 1:58.
There is a reason that Kevin Adamowski’s nickname is Mighty Mouse – he is the closest thing to a super hero that I have ever encountered. During my time running for Sandburg, I had watched Mighty Mouse win countless come-from-behind races, and here he was in the State Finals, baton in hand, right with the leaders. Kevin has this killer instinct, where regardless of the circumstances, he finds a way to create magic when a race is in his hands. I had witnessed it in dozens of races – the 2007 Eagle Classic 4x400 to win the meet (his third race of the night), multiple years of making up a huge deficit in the 4xMile at the Tinley Relays, and so many others. I remember the York anchor slowing the race way down to set it up for a kicker’s finish. Mouse had none of that. He put in a heavy race load the day before, running the 4x8 and Mile prelims, but even with tired legs, Kev went right to the front and challenged the leader. The great thing about Kevin is that he would rather die running his race than let a runner with fresh legs (the York anchor sat out Prelims) dictate the outcome. At this point the lead pack was still 5-6 teams deep and there Kev was challenging for the lead after pouring his heart onto the track the day before in Prelims. He stayed shoulder to shoulder with the York runner for the entire race. I remember watching him get to the 150 to go mark tied for the lead and seeing how fast his feet were turning over. It was surreal. Like Zach Dahleen, Kevin had one of the strongest kicks I’ve ever seen. There is no one else that I’d rather have than Kevin Adamowski in the last 200 meters of a race. Watching him come around the turn kicking his brains out, was the final moment of that race that will stick with me forever. The ending of that race looked like the end of a 4x100 relay. Five teams were shoulder to shoulder extending from lanes 1-5 and the gap from first to fifth ended up being less than a second difference. Ultimately, a couple of guys that sat behind Kevin the entire race edged him out, but he was a champion in my mind that day.
So when I say that there is more to a race than the finishing time or place, that’s what I mean. The four of us gave everything we had and could walk away knowing that we competed like champions. I wouldn’t trade that 5th place outcome for anything, because of the character of the guys we did it with and the journey that got us there. Within that seven minutes and fifty seconds lives a lifetime of memories that I will forever cherish.
Go Eagles.
Mike Marbach
Class of 2008
Kevin Adamowski anchor leg 1:56.7 ALL STATE
The last ride.
Heading into the waiting area with Tom, Zach, and Mike before the 4X8 finals, I remember thinking to myself - this is my last chance to make a statement for Sandburg running. 4 years of blood, sweat and tears lead up to our final race. As we took our strides out of the waiting tent, we were welcomed to the roar of cheers from the crowd. I remember looking at our team and just had this gut feeling something amazing was about to happen. On paper, we were a team who barely made it to the finals, but the 4 of us and Coach knew deep down we were a force to be reckoned with. As we huddled up before the start of the race, each of us had this calmness about us (well at least the nerves weren’t showing). We all had this incredible faith in each other, we all put in the work together; the long runs, the mile repeats and now it was finally time we all showed the world what Sandburg running was all about. It was time to become heroes.
As the gun went off, I watched as Tom raced to the front and told the whole field this was going to be his race, his pace, his moment. Tom isn’t shy about what he wants. He will tell you he wants the biggest trophy, the shiniest medal but when that gun went off something changed. All Tom wanted in that moment was to be the fastest guy on that track. It was like a whole new confidence came out of him. I still remember being on the back 100 meters and hearing the race announcer call out, “And in first place, from Carl Sandburg, it’s Tom Sideras.” Tom, a kid who wore a walking boot for 5 months with a stress fracture, who always wanted to be a top runner, was having the race he always dreamed about. As the race went on and as the field challenged him, Tom continued to fight and battle for that top spot. Tom put our relay in the perfect spot. We were on track to win it all.
I watched Tom hand off, for the final time as a Sandburg Eagle, to Zach, the break out Sophomore. We could hear more and more fans cheering for us. As Zach whipped around the first turn, I thought to myself, “This kid is just getting started in his running career and already is proving he has what it takes.” Zach looked like a runner - the kid is 6 foot something. His stride just eats up the track. His one stride is like 10 of mine. So here he is, this young kid going up against this talented field in one of his first of many more big stage moments. And what happened? The kid delivered. I remember watching Zach with about 500 meters left as the front pack of 5-6 bunched up and were in an absolute war with each other-I watched as this kid flew out from the back of the pack and started making his move. On the home stretch, as the runners fought for lanes, I remember Zach getting tripped up by a York runner and I remember seeing Zach keep his composure and continue to dig down and handed off to Bach in a great position. This is what Sandburg is all about. All about the fight.
As Mike took the baton and headed into the first turn I knew what was about to happen. I knew Mike had this fire inside to prove himself and I knew he was about to go off. I was right. As the front group of 5-6 barreled down the back stretch, I watched as Mike fought and maneuvered in the pack. Ever since Mike was a freshman-he showed how bad he wanted to be a top runner. He would ask me what extra stuff he could do to get better, what to eat, what books to read-he had dedication you don’t normally see in a freshman. For three years, I pushed Mike harder than I pushed anyone else. I knew once our senior group left, Sandburg was going to need a new leader and I knew Mike would be that guy. I also knew that this 4x8 final was going to be the race Mike broke through and became Sandburg’s future. And as Mike headed into the last lap and as the group started to pull away, Mike’s fire inside just exploded. Mike barreled down the back stretch, closed the gap, and flew into the home stretch - putting me right with the group.
The last ride.
Heading into the waiting area with Tom, Zach, and Mike before the 4X8 finals, I remember thinking to myself - this is my last chance to make a statement for Sandburg running. 4 years of blood, sweat and tears lead up to our final race. As we took our strides out of the waiting tent, we were welcomed to the roar of cheers from the crowd. I remember looking at our team and just had this gut feeling something amazing was about to happen. On paper, we were a team who barely made it to the finals, but the 4 of us and Coach knew deep down we were a force to be reckoned with. As we huddled up before the start of the race, each of us had this calmness about us (well at least the nerves weren’t showing). We all had this incredible faith in each other, we all put in the work together; the long runs, the mile repeats and now it was finally time we all showed the world what Sandburg running was all about. It was time to become heroes.
As the gun went off, I watched as Tom raced to the front and told the whole field this was going to be his race, his pace, his moment. Tom isn’t shy about what he wants. He will tell you he wants the biggest trophy, the shiniest medal but when that gun went off something changed. All Tom wanted in that moment was to be the fastest guy on that track. It was like a whole new confidence came out of him. I still remember being on the back 100 meters and hearing the race announcer call out, “And in first place, from Carl Sandburg, it’s Tom Sideras.” Tom, a kid who wore a walking boot for 5 months with a stress fracture, who always wanted to be a top runner, was having the race he always dreamed about. As the race went on and as the field challenged him, Tom continued to fight and battle for that top spot. Tom put our relay in the perfect spot. We were on track to win it all.
I watched Tom hand off, for the final time as a Sandburg Eagle, to Zach, the break out Sophomore. We could hear more and more fans cheering for us. As Zach whipped around the first turn, I thought to myself, “This kid is just getting started in his running career and already is proving he has what it takes.” Zach looked like a runner - the kid is 6 foot something. His stride just eats up the track. His one stride is like 10 of mine. So here he is, this young kid going up against this talented field in one of his first of many more big stage moments. And what happened? The kid delivered. I remember watching Zach with about 500 meters left as the front pack of 5-6 bunched up and were in an absolute war with each other-I watched as this kid flew out from the back of the pack and started making his move. On the home stretch, as the runners fought for lanes, I remember Zach getting tripped up by a York runner and I remember seeing Zach keep his composure and continue to dig down and handed off to Bach in a great position. This is what Sandburg is all about. All about the fight.
As Mike took the baton and headed into the first turn I knew what was about to happen. I knew Mike had this fire inside to prove himself and I knew he was about to go off. I was right. As the front group of 5-6 barreled down the back stretch, I watched as Mike fought and maneuvered in the pack. Ever since Mike was a freshman-he showed how bad he wanted to be a top runner. He would ask me what extra stuff he could do to get better, what to eat, what books to read-he had dedication you don’t normally see in a freshman. For three years, I pushed Mike harder than I pushed anyone else. I knew once our senior group left, Sandburg was going to need a new leader and I knew Mike would be that guy. I also knew that this 4x8 final was going to be the race Mike broke through and became Sandburg’s future. And as Mike headed into the last lap and as the group started to pull away, Mike’s fire inside just exploded. Mike barreled down the back stretch, closed the gap, and flew into the home stretch - putting me right with the group.
As I grabbed the baton-I knew I had one job-to fight as hard as Tom, Zach and Mike just did. I was prepared for a blistering first lap. I was prepared for two laps on pain. And as we completed the first turn-I felt the pace completely slow to almost a walk. This couldn’t be right. York slowing the pace down? As we came out of the first turn-I had two choices. I could either let York dictate the race and cruise to 2nd place; or, I could fly up to the front and show everyone that Sandburg doesn’t back down or fight for second. I didn’t waste a step. I flew up to the front of the pack and immediately made my statement that if anyone was going to beat me, they’d have to beat me in an all out war. And it’s funny - the only one who took the challenge was York. I remember looking back and I couldn’t even hear the other teams. As the first lap was ending- I knew this was going to be the race I wanted. Sandburg and York. Fighting each other-going faster and faster each couple meters. And as the final bell rang-I thought one final time. One final time for Mighty Mouse to pull out his cape. And as we headed down the back stretch-it truly became that all out war. I thought to myself that it was going to take whatever I had and more to win, but I wasn’t going to back down. I knew York’s runner was fresh. He didn’t run the 4x8 prelim but that wasn’t going to stop me. The same way Tom, Zach and Mike didn’t back down. So as we entered the final 300 and as I battled with York while the other teams sat back too scared to join and were content with racing for anything but first. I knew we had a chance to win. We were flying. Not for a second since I took the lead did I let my foot off the gas. Like I said - this was going to be a battle. I knew it was going to be two laps of pain. I was not going to let York just coast to a victory. So as we entered the turn, I saw the York runner start his kick. And do you know what he saw? He saw me answer and not back the hell down. We flew into the final turn- the crowd going crazy. My final race as an Eagle. And the legs just didn’t have it. York won. The weasels racing for second and third got me. But Coach, Tom, Zach and Mike have said and will always say - we didn’t race for second. We all went out and went past our comfort zones and together, we made a statement. We told everyone that day what to expect from the future Sandburg runners. We went home with a 5th place medal but the amount of people that came up to us-strangers-who said how blown away they were on how we raced and how these other teams ran scared. That made it feel like we were the true champions. I wouldn’t change a thing about that race. I could have easily sat back and cruised to 2nd but that’s not how we operate. Coach has Instilled in us what it takes to be a champ, to be the best, and I walked off the track that day knowing we truly were the best based on our determination, drive, and sheer will. There wasn’t one second of that whole race that Tom, Zach, Mike or I backed down. I couldn’t be more proud and honored to have raced, trained, and laughed with those guys and the rest of the Sandburg Eagles. I will be forever grateful for the memories and the life lessons I have learned from the guys and Coach O’Malley.
-Kevin Adamowski — Mighty Mouse
Class of 2007
-Kevin Adamowski — Mighty Mouse
Class of 2007