Bearcat hits personal goals in recent Track and Field Championships
North Butler senior Owen Almelien recently closed out his high school Track and Field career with a pair of personal records in this year's state meet.
Despite having the 14th best entry in the Class 1A Boys 1600M Run, Almelien absolutely sliced his PR by 16 seconds to finish sixth in 4:27.07s. Almelien says he was stunned at his accomplishment and felt the hard work had paid off in the race.
“My PR was 4:43… I’m in disbelief right now. I mean I’ve worked so hard and just like, the results haven’t been there, and then I just went out and I just, I just went for it today. I started back in the pack. I was a little bit worried but I just moved up. It was crazy.”
The senior Bearcat had a final lap to remember. Almelien posted a time of 1:01.984s in his closing loop, which was the second fastest lap of any competitor in the 1A 1600M, just behind the first place winner's final lap. Almelien says he was chasing a medal.
“... I was coming down the back stretch like 300, 250 to go, and I saw the eighth place guy. I knew I [needed] to get that medal. So I just went for it and I just kept going…. I don’t think anybody was expecting it but I knew… at the finish I had the training and I just had to go make it happen and I just had to put it out there.”
Almelien also had his name in the Boys 3200M Run two days before the 1600M. He had his first of two top ten finishes, placing 10th in 9:53.64s, which cut out a few seconds from his previous best of 9:56.05s. Almelien says his performance in the 1600M was a great way to wrap up state.
“This is amazing, I wouldn’t want it to end any [other] way.”