In his first-ever national competition, Jasper Samuelson, an East Hampton High School sophomore, ran a personal best in the mile. Racing as a member of the Old Montauk Athletic Club, Samuelson finished second in his heat — and 29th out of 117 — in the national elite mile competition, with a time of 4:35.35.
Speaking on the phone Sunday night on the car ride home from the Adidas Track Nationals in Virginia Beach, having just eaten a box of Mike and Ikes to get some sugar in his system, Samuelson said his legs had felt better, but it was worth the pain.
“I went in with a goal of just P.R.-ing and getting a better time, but I tried to stay open-minded, and I was going to try my hardest and that’s what I did. Everybody was nervous and tense, but it ended up working out.”
Kevin Barry, Samuelson’s coach for winter track and cross-country, traveled to Virginia to watch him race. Barry has already called Samuelson one of the toughest kids he’s ever coached.
“He’s just a wonderful kid and runner,” Barry said. “He’s becoming a very smart runner, and his strategy of racing for a sophomore [is impressive]. He’s going to go a long way in this sport.”
Samuelson was quick to thank all of his coaches. “Coach Barry, Coach Knight, and Coach Johnson have definitely helped me to get to this point and supported me in this running journey,” he said. “I’m also grateful to OMAC for letting me represent them, and I’m thankful for their support.”
So how did a 10th grader pull off such an amazing finish? Samuelson said his running superpower is his kick, a common term for speed on the back end of a race. “I have a better kick than most people do, so I keep that in the back of my mind. Even if I don’t have any energy left, I just go. I think it’s going to hurt more if you don’t try than if you kick and give it your best.”
Even indoors, the track was hot and humid leading up to the mile event, and he was more nervous than usual, but he stayed focused. “As soon as I got on the line my heart was pounding, but I just tried to focus on the race and who was ahead of me and reel them in.”
Samuelson was in third place when he tried to pick off the second-place runner, who was strategic and didn’t make it easy. “He was very technical. He ran the race very smart. He played defense on me. When I sped up, he sped up. When I tried to pass, he blocked in front of me.” But Samuelson’s kick won in the end. “I saw him,” Samuelson said. “I saw that he was a lot more tired than I was and I just went for it.”
The first-place runner, however, was too far ahead to catch. “Towards the finish I was really pushing trying to get that last guy and he ended up coming out on top. When I finished, I looked right at the clock. It was not just a P.R. in the mile, but I also beat my 1,600-meter P.R. by a little less than a second.”
The race is barely over, but runners as fast as Samuelson don’t waste much time thinking about what they’ve just achieved before they’re on to their next goal. Spring track is in full swing this week, and he’s got new dreams to chase.
“What I’ll focus on going forward is sub 4:30 in the outdoor season. I’m looking forward to having a go at that. I’ll definitely need to put in the time and the work and work harder and dedicate myself more, but I’m willing to do that. Five seconds is quite a bit. It’s probably about 40 meters. If I could see myself running 40 meters ahead of myself right now, I’d think, man, that guy was fast.”
