Isaiah Harris grew up playing baseball, basketball, football and track and field, and even a year of cross country as a kid. Although he admits basketball is his first love, his best sport was track and field. A quick look at the Lewiston senior's athlete profile and his range is the first quality that pops out. From 200 meters to cross country and 5,000 meters, he can run any distance and is successful at the same time. The defending class A champion, state record holder, and New England champion in the 800 meters says the two-lapper is his favorite and his best event.
Last year, Harris had ZERO rest as he won the 800 and followed it up with a state championship win in the 200 in a time of 22.76. He says the focus was on the 8, but when the 200 came up he just went out and gave it his all.
I'm an extremely competitive person and have this crazy drive to win in anything I do. The 200 was a very close race and I honestly believe that I won the race because I was mentally tougher than the competition. It came down to the thousandth of a second."
The Penn State signee thrives on competition. When track season ended, Harris was motivated to be the best he could be in cross country that fall and on the track in 2015. As the 2013 runner-up at the Class A XC Championship and New England XC Champion, Harris was a favorite to win the state championship. However, after attending a birthday party for a friend where alcohol was present, he was suspended from the team. Although he didn't drink he says it was against school policy.
"The policy states that if you are in the presence of alcohol and do not leave you're still at fault. Of course it was the week of states so I couldn't compete. I was definitely hoping for a state title."
Missing out on another state title fueled Harris and carried over to his training for track. Despite having all new coaches on both the trails and on the oval, he says he maintained focused on the prize.
"I mean it's simple, listen and follow orders, right? Adapting to a new coach was not as hard as I thought it would be. The coach really allows us captains to have a say in how things go in practice so we have tried to keep things as similar to the past as we can."
He credits his former coach TJ Niles for a lot of his success and challenging him to his potential, but says the new coaching staff, have really taught him to push himself internally. At the recent KVAC Championship, Harris kicked off the meet anchoring the Lewiston boys to a 4x800 (1:55 split) meter victory. He then did the 200-800 double, clocking times of 22.65 (personal best) and a state leading 1:54.37 in the 800 before wrapping up the evening as the anchor in the team's winning 4x400m relay.
Although, he can run just about anything he says he prefers the shorter distances.
"I really like the 400 and 800. 5k's aren't bad, but anything over that I'm not sure how well I'd do!"
So what is a typical week like for the standout senior?
"A typical training week will be a workout on Monday, a 45 minute run on Tuesday, speed work on Wednesday, another 45 minute run Thursday and Friday, with a meet being on Saturday. I don't have a favorite workout in particular, but I definitely prefer speed workouts vs. tempo runs!"
Harris and his coach have discussed the schedule for state, but no plan has been set in stone for Saturday at Mt. Ararat High School. As of now, he will run the 1,600, 800 and 4x400 meter relay, but they were unsure about running the mile right before the 800. He says if it was up to him, he'd be entered in the 400 as well.
"If it was up to me I'd have myself in the 1600, 800, 400, and 4x400! If the events weren't so close to each other I'd definitely do all three. I really love the 400 and would love to have the state record before I graduate."
One event he won't be in is the 200, where he is the defending state champion. He isn't worried though and says teammate "Speedy" Mohamed will definitely pick up where he left off. Lewiston, who finished runner-up to Cheverus by 29 points last year, will once again be battling for the team title, something that Harris says would mean a lot to him in his final state track meet.
"We have an amazing group and we are all so hungry. We all want the state title and will give our everything to win it!"
Individually, Harris' 800 meter time from state will be crucial in where he is seeded the following weekend at the New England Championships the following weekend at Thornton Academy in Saco. He says right now that meet is his top priority.
"It's the biggest meet I compete in and the only meet I get some competition in the 800. This year I'm hoping to break the New England record in the 800. I'm not 100% positive, but I think it's 1:49. Henry Wynne who won the race when I was a sophomore set the record if I remember correctly. Since it's in Maine I'm hoping a lot of friends and family can make the meet and watch me put up a fast time!"
Following New Englands, Harris will embark on the next chapter of his track career. The senior picked Penn State over offers from LSU, Georgetown UConn, Brown, and Dartmouth. The Nittany Lions were the last school he visited and fell in love with the campus, the coach, the program, and the facilities from the moment he stepped on campus. He says the coach wants him to compete in the 800, 400, and on their 4x400m relay team, but the 1,500m also intrigues him. No matter what event he runs he is ready to get started.
"I'm looking forward to having people to run with and compete against. I run all year without any competition in the 800, and I know that once I have competition I'll be able to put up faster times. I'm also excited about year round training. Since I wont be playing basketball anymore I think I'll be able to get into the best shape of my life."
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