Sturgis junior Jacob Simmons wants to see his name among the best 1,600-meter runners in state history before he’s done.
If everything goes according to plan, he’ll be there in two weeks.
Simmons captured the Class AA 800- and 1,600-meter state championships in Sioux Falls last weekend to earn the meet’s most valuable track performer award.
His time of 4 minutes, 17.30 seconds in the 1,600 was more than 9 seconds faster than the runner up and good enough to earn Simmons a spot at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals in Greensboro, N.C., on June 13.
Simmons thinks that with the push from a loaded national field he could conceivably run a 4:15 or faster, which would put him into South Dakota’s all-time top 10. Sioux Falls Lincoln’s Jim Reinhart has held the state record in that event since 1973 when he ran a 4:06.3.
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Simmons was also hoping to qualify in the 800 but his winning time of 1:55.78 was off the 1:54.8 qualifying standard. Simmons will get one more crack at qualifying in that event when he takes part in the 2014 USATF Dakotas Junior Olympics Track and Field Championships in Fargo, N.D., this weekend.
“It was a miserably hot, windy, humid day there and it ended up being his second race of the day as well because he ran on our 4-by-800 (team) earlier,” Sturgis distance coach Scott Peterson said of Simmons’ effort in the 800 last weekend. “The cards were kind of stacked against him to hit that time.”
Simmons hopes to be running two events in Greensboro in two weeks but even if he’s just running the one, he’ll always have the 2014 Class AA MVP trophy to fall back on.
For his efforts, Simmons is this week's Rapid City Journal Athlete of the Week.
Coach Scott Peterson’s assessment:
“He’s a great kid. He has a good, strong work ethic. He’s involved in numerous school activities. He’s got a strong GPA; he takes advance courses and those types of kids often make good distance runners … because they do have that desire in many ways. He’s just a natural runner, that’s for sure. He excels beyond what you might expect because he is a basketball player, too. Usually when kids start running the really fast, especially when you’re talking about the 1,600-meter runners, they’re just distance runners, you know. He’s able to excel at that high level basically just running cross in the fall and track in the spring and all winter long it’s just all basketball. “
Were you surprised at all with how dominant your 1,600 win was?
“I knew there were a lot of quality runners in the field and I knew that a lot of them could go fast, but to be honest I was pretty bummed out that Will Lauer of Sioux Falls Lincoln (second-fastest qualifier) was injured … the competition was there, but I think I just had a really great race. I put it all out there.”
What was key to the success you had this year?
“Definitely all the work I put in during practices all season. My coach really helped me out, I have great teammates to help me out in workouts a lot of the time and I really have to thank them for all of the work they put in as well.”
Basketball season was up and down in a lot of ways. How much did finishing up your junior year this way mean to you after your wrist injury?
“It was awesome. I mean basketball was, I don’t really know how to describe it. It was a good season and a bad one. To finally get into track and run some (personal records), it was definitely a nice way to end my junior year.”
Do you feel like you’d be faster if you scrapped basketball and concentrated solely on track?
“Yeah, I think I’d probably be faster. I’ve thought about just concentrating on running in high school but I’ve played basketball with the same kids since fourth grade and we’re pretty much family, so I couldn’t really see myself not playing in the winter. Basketball is a big part of who I am, but I definitely want to run at college.”
Have you been contacted by any colleges?
“I definitely want to be a track athlete in college. I got a Facebook message from (University of South Dakota) the other day and the University of Illinois just contacted me. Augustana and a lot of the in-state schools and some other smaller schools have, too.”
What does this performance do for you heading into next season?
“It’s definitely a big motivator. Running those times is a big boost in morale for me and will help me and I can train over the summer knowing that I can hit those kinds of times. Hopefully I can get where I want to be in the cross country season and as a senior in track.”
What are your goals at nationals?
“This week is the big week as far as training goes and then heading up to Fargo and trying to run a good time (in the 800). I think the main goal is to run a fast time – I’d like to see if I can crack the top 10 all-time in the mile and if I do get qualified for the 800 that would be really cool, too.”