Salute to Seniors: Spencer Lynds - Skowhegan HS

 

 
What was your most memorable race/moment? 
 
In Indoor this year, I tried 3 meets in a row to set our 800m record, which was a very obtainable 2:12.  In our very last regular season meet, I finally set it at about 2:10.  Not too many people get excited about 4th place, but I let out some sort of bestial wail as I crossed the finish line, as I had just achieved my season's goal.  To make the day even better, I was the anchor for another school record performance in the 4x200m.
 
Who would you consider your biggest competition over your four years? 
 
I don't like to call them my "competition," because they spend more time talking and laughing with me than they do running against me.  I can't remember many of the guys I ran against over the past 3 years, because I was usually behind them (haha).  This past year though, I had a lot of running competition who I loved to be against.  Teams like Waterville, Oxford Hills, Messalonskee, and Lewiston supplied a lot of these guys.  
 

What was your greatest accomplishment?

My greatest accomplishment was leading a team that took maybe 10 people to states and scored about 2 points collectively, to a team that took about 30 people to states and scored about 40 collectively.  Me and my other senior and junior captains grew this program into a really respectable and competitive team, and that's something I get to hold on to for life, and is, what I believe, greater than any performance or mark.

If you could do it all over again what would you change about your running career in high school?

I wish I had done cross country instead of football more than anything.  Cross Country was another program that was essentially "dead" in our school, so bringing up the XC team alongside the Track team would have been a rewarding experience.

What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?

My first 3 years in track were my biggest obstacles.  I was just as much a part of the team as any of the other guys, except that they all scored points and I didn't.  I was never ranked as high as my peers, and that was tough to be around because I worked my "tail" off every day.  This year, though, I was the regular season points leader, so it a very monumental turn around if you can keep working hard.

What will you miss the most?
 
It may seem like a cliche, but I will miss my team the most.  We all grew up around each other and watched ourselves accomplish a lot.  Beyond that, the feeling of a meet day and the anxiousness that leads up to a race is a feeling that has yet to be paralleled anywhere else for me.

What advice you would give to younger athletes?

You are probably not going to do as well as the seniors, but don't let that stop you or make you feel bad about your performance.  You are going to get so much better every year that you're going to look back on your past performances and say "How did I ever run that slow?"  The change is something that just takes time, and if you work hard during that time, you'll eventually do great things.

What influence has your coach had with respect to your performance and overall life goals?

Here comes another cliche, but my coaches are my driving force.  I would always walk out of a race and be pleased with my performance, and my coaches would always be there to say "That doesn't have to be your best, nor is it close to your best."  This constant bombardment of what seemed like dissatisfaction was merely their raising me up to be the best I can be.  This applied to every situation, whether it be racing, my education, or my career path.

What are your college plans?  

I will attend UMass Dartmouth in the fall as a Civil/Environmental Engineering Major.  My times are less than ideal to try out for the UMass Dartmouth track team, so I will commit myself as a manager.  It's a hard step down from the Senior Captain position I used to hold, but I believe there is something to be said for a guy that won't give up the sport he loves just because he's not the best at it.

Who would you like to say thank you to?

A quicker question would be "Who do you not want to say thank you too?"  I would like to thank everyone.  My coaches, teammates, my competition over the years, the people who cheered me on, the people who would cheer for my competition, and most of all my loving family who let me know that I was a good athlete even if I didn't believe them all the time.

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

Yeah, I'd like to add maybe another year or two on to my high school track career, but that seems like a little much too ask. All joking aside, good luck to next year's Maine track and cross country athletes!

 

 

Do you know a class of 2014 track and field or cross country athlete? We'd like to salute them! Have them answer the following questions plus send 2-3 photos (can not be from another website or publication) to dveilleux@milesplit.us