by Bob Hahn (Class of ‘81)
It was the morning of the Foot Locker National Championships and Sandburg coach John O’Malley greeted the sunrise and soothing rhythm of the ocean while taking in a brisk run along Pacific Beach in beautiful San Diego, California. It had become a tradition since 2009 to wake before dawn and greet the waves. Waves you could hear, but only catch the occasional glimpse of a curling white cap in the pitch dark. Back then he coached Eagle legend Lukas Verzbicas to the first of back-to-back Foot Locker National Championships. The serenity of the empty beach was a perfect time to clear his mind and figure out how he would help the best prep runner in the United States go out in 6 hours and be what he should be…. national champ. Lukas came to John as a sophomore and a ready made national phenom and was locked in on the task of being the best in the nation, the best in the world. Under the direction of a young rising star in the prep cross country coaching ranks, Verzbicas wrote history becoming one of the all time greats in the annals of high school American distance running. But this morning on the beach was the day of the 2017 Foot Locker Nationals, and O’Malley would be coaching another Sandburg legend in the making, Dylan Jacobs. Coach O’Malley had already laid the groundwork for a hall of fame coaching career with a coveted Illinois State Championship in cross country, along with an unequaled 4x800 tradition on the track. This year would be a different task. This year would be the culmination of 4 years of deeply personal training and shaping of an athlete who up until high school had little or no interest, nor understanding, of what distance running was all about. DJ was on the cusp of being a Foot Locker National Champion himself. But the road to get to this moment, especially in this his senior campaign, was full of challenges that no one could have predicted. Like many amazing stories, you cannot possibly write the script. You can only grip tight and try to enjoy the ride.
Dylan was already a national champion. But when you are a sophomore, tucked in a relay on the second leg protected by middle distance legends Chris and Sean Torpy, it tends to go underappreciated just how vital your part may have been in winning the New Balance indoor nationals in the 4x1600 relay two track seasons ago. And again, while setting the Illinois record in the 4x800 and finishing the season with the national number 1 ranking, the focus was on the Torpy’s domination and the culmination of their amazing prep careers. With the dawn of the 2016 cross country season and his Junior year came all the joy and pressures of taking his turn at proving he could be the best. That he would be the one leading relay teams to glory, or accomplishing individual goals set in the tradition of CSHS excellence. But his career was not free of some disappointments. Dylan had two major setbacks that kept him from being one of the top Illinois prep runners of all time. The first was an injury at the sectional meet in his sophomore season. No one will ever know what could have been as his name is missing from the Detwieller record books in 2015. Sandburg dominated the state of Illinois that year without perhaps its number two runner. Could he have finished top five just behind Sean Torpy? Or second place with the unenviable task of out kicking Charlie Kern? (He had beaten Kern earlier that season at the Richard Spring Invite, posting a time of 14:39) Or perhaps busting an unbelievable race and taking the field down to win as a sophomore. None of these scenarios were out of the realm of possibility. He was hot coming into the championship season and only the good Lord knows how a healthy Dylan Jacobs could have helped the nationally number one ranked team perform in Portland that year. But he still gained so much experience that year under the tutelage of Coach O’Malley and the atmosphere of his championship teammates.
One thing Dylan was very good at was leading big races. His long easy stride made pacing even national races look effortless. But it was this temptation to lead for the first mile and set the pace that would be a less than perfect strategy to beat the likes of Hirsch and Reed Brown amongst other studs in San Diego. The strategy at Balboa Park’s hilly course would be to tuck in behind the leaders and feel out the first round up and down the monster hill right after the mile mark and then execute a surge coming back to the grandstands. Sound familiar? But DJ was feeling so good. So confident. The kind of confidence that fools one into thinking they can dust a stud-filled field of runners and pull away for an early win. Not even Lukas could pull off that feat in the first lap on that course. So, as good as Dylan felt, he didn’t execute the game plan and it would end up costing him. Not dearly, as he would finish 11th and once again gain All-American status, but it only left O’Malley and Dylan wondering what could have been if he had been a bit more disciplined. Top five? Third? The “disappointment” in finishing 11th in a national race would only further shape DJ’s desire to be the best. Senior year was ahead of him and this would be his time to take it to a new level.
In the meantime, Senior Dylan Jacobs was taking shape as a young man as well. Watching and learning over the past 3 seasons from the likes of Sean and Chris Torpy not only how to prepare for the work load of a strenuous season, but how to be a part of the process with the coaching staff, how to lead teammates, how to conduct interviews with the press, and how to take time with children and admirers with patience and class. Even how to sign the occasional autograph. Coach O’Malley was doing some of his best work also with his part in helping Ray and Lisa Jacobs build the character of their son into a fine young adult along with fine-tuning the training schedule for an epic assault on the State of Illinois and the national scene. The goals were simple. Illinois State Champion. Nike Cross National Champion and Foot Locker National Champion. They both felt that he had the mental and physical elements in place to attempt such lofty goals. And the challenges that ended up facing DJ tested everything he learned to the core.
Dylan fully intended to surpass the time that Danny posted in Peoria and post an even faster time to continue the unprecedented and uncanny clockings that were being put up on the legendary course. The Richard Spring Invitational in Peoria would be the day to make a statement. The weather looked like it could be a bit warmer than ideal, but never the less, splits were prepared to make an assault on the 14 minute mark, something that had never been done outside a state meet on Detweiller. After 2 miles, it looked like Dylan truly had a chance to make the mark, but the unseasonably hot weather took its toll in the last mile and he had to settle for a 14:23 clocking, still a very fast time in the middle of the season. But the gap had to be closed. A statement had to be made that he was going to be a player come November and beyond. That statement came a week later back in Peoria.
At the Peoria High Invitational, with perfect weather conditions, DJ dropped the hammer. Dipping slightly below his planned splits at the mile and two mile mark, he finished alone with a time of 13:57 good for a 33 second win over the field and doing what has never been done in the 47 years since the Detweiller course was laid out; break 14:00 before the state finals. This was not only a shot across the bow directed at Kilrea and other Illinois contenders, but a message to the nation that Dylan would have to be recognized as a serious player for the post season championships. The time was a national #1 posting for 3 miles that would stand for the rest of the season.
We all learned a lot about Dylan Jacobs that day. That he had the strength and courage to meet disappointment head on. That he would not complain and would answer every question with respect. That it is easy to celebrate a victory, but much harder to accept defeat with class. With his mental toughness and a support system second to none, Dylan looked ahead to recovery and a second chance to redeem himself with the national races looming.
Training was going well the week leading up to Portland and the NXN. Dylan was feeling strong again and his mind was set on proving that he was the best cross country runner in the nation. His illness was finally in the rear view mirror and somehow he survived the brutal schedule and super tough competition in qualifying for both NXN and Foot Locker. He could still remember the strength and confidence that he felt running the 13:57 at Detweiller and smashing the field at the Katherine Legge Sectional and he wanted to bring that Dylan Jacobs to the west coast. For the first mile at the Nike Cross Nationals on the Glendoveer Golf Course he felt like Dylan again. The race had a bit of a feeling out period for the first three quarters of a mile and DJ decided to push the pace. He commanded the course for the next mile but like any national race, it is never easy to break the field. It is almost always assured that the toughest and most contested part of races of this magnitude would be in the last mile. Four or five runners including Dylan, Danny Kilrea and Brodey Hasty put a bit of a gap on the chase pack approaching the hill returning from the back part of the course. Coming up the hill in preparation for the last mile it looked like a battle for the national title would include Jacobs and Kilrea, Illinois finest. But national caliber racing can be fickle, and sometimes the mind cannot conquer the matter and Dylan suddenly could not physically respond to the packs move coming up the hill. Once again it became apparent that Dylan’s physical state was not quite at peak form and he used every ounce of strength to hold on to 13th place while athletes that he was convinced he could beat finished on the podium. Dylan was devastated by this latest turn of events. How long could this earlier illness still hold his goals hostage? He kept it very private but it was a low point in his season. To him a low point in his career. He was in jeopardy of folding mentally. An athlete of lesser mental strength could certainly have thrown in the towel.
In the end two great runners from Illinois shared the titles along the way to amazing prep cross country careers. Danny Kilrea would forever be the 2017 Illinois state champion. And Dylan Jacobs will forever be 2017 Foot Locker National Champion. Congratulations on a great high school cross country career Dylan, from the entire Sandburg Nation!!