State Champion spotlight: Luke Laverdiere Yarmouth HS
Sophomore Luke Laverdiere won his first individual state title when he won the Class B Mile in 4:30.18. Laverdiere came back to finish third in the 2 mile. Luke lowered his 2 mile time to 9:27.63 at New Balance Nationals, that time broke the state sophomore record.
What were your preparations leading up to the state meet?
During the week leading up to the state championship I didn't train much different than I had during the regular season. I cut back a little bit on the distance of my workouts but kept the effort the same and my mileage up. I also cut back on the oreos and stressed getting enough sleep.
How did you deal with the pressure and emotions that come along with competing in a state meet?
The pressure of being ranked first going into a big state meet is something that I've seemed to struggle with in the past (a.k.a. 2015 State XC Championship). That being said, I was worried that I was going to psych myself again and not perform 100%. So at states I just tried to focus on the task of staying calm and doing the small things right. Looking back on it I've realized that the saying "running is 90% mental" is completely true. I think I've become a completely different runner this season simply because of that new racing philosophy.
You controlled the mile setting the early pace, and then making the decisive move to pull away for the victory. Did the race go according to your pre-race plan? What did it feel like to cross the line first to win your first individual state title?
To be completely honest, I form my "pre-race" plans in my head during the actual race. I do this because in the past, whenever I've had a pre-race plan, I've always put too much pressure on executing that plan and have never actually been able to do it. So now in my workouts leading up to a big race, my coach trains me for whatever type of race it may turn into and I decide mid-race what to do. The only thing I wanted to make sure happened in this mile was to go out strong the first 400m, knowing that John Hassett has some great speed around the last couple laps. Going out at this strong pace would help me control the race and would slow his sub 2:00 800 meter speed going around the last lap.
The first thing that flashed through my mind crossing that white finish line was that I had finally become a champ, a title that can't be taken away from you, unless you're Lance Armstrong (sorry about that bro). This was something that I could never quite seem to achieve up until then and it felt great to have finally done it.
Coming into the season what were your goals and did you achieve them?
Coming into this season, I wanted to have some fun and also keep improving my times. I wanted to keep that delicate balance of hard work and relaxation. I think I've learned how to enjoy this sport more this season now that I don't focus only on hitting the times I want.
How do you think winning an individual state title will effect you heading into outdoors?
Winning this state title feels like the curse of the bambino has been lifted off of me. I now have the confidence I need to keep working hard to keep getting stronger and faster for the outdoor season. Come June 4th I think I will feel much more confident in my abilities as a runner and my ability to compete in these big races.
Laverdiere's Mile Progression
| INDOOR | Graph |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 4:25.62 |
| 2015 | 4:34.63 |
| 2014 | 5:02.60 |
| 2013 | 5:10.60 |
Laverdiere's 2 Mile Progression
| NDOOR | Graph |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 9:27.63 |
| 2015 | 9:47.79 |
2015-16 Results
| 2016 | SEASON | EVENT | MEET | DATE | PLACE | ROUND | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:27.63 | Indoor | 2Mile | New Balance Nationals Indoor | 21st | Finals | > | ||
| 9:54.93 | Indoor | 2Mile | 29th New England Indoor Track & Field Championships | 16th | Finals | > | ||
| 8:49.49 | Indoor | 3000m | USATF New England Indoor Championship | 6th | Finals | > | ||
| 4:30.18 | Indoor | Mile | Class B Indoor State Championship | 1st | Finals | > | ||
| 9:58.61 | Indoor | 2Mile | Class B Indoor State Championship | 3rd | Finals | > | ||
| 2:02.89 | Indoor | 800m | WMC: Greely, Falm, York, Yarm, GNG, Freep, Sacopee Va, St Doms | 1st | Finals | > | ||
| 10:03.95 | Indoor | 2Mile | WMC: Greely, Falm, York, Yarm, GNG, Freep, Sacopee Va, St Doms | 1st | Finals | > | ||
| 4:25.62 | Indoor | Mile | GBTC Invitational | 8th | Finals | > | ||
| 9:40.60 | Indoor | 2Mile | WMC: Cape, Lake , Freeport, Yarmouth, GNG, Greely, Lisbon | 1st | Finals | > | ||
| 4:29.49 | Indoor | Mile | Dartmouth Relays | 12th | Finals | > | ||
| 2015 | SEASON | EVENT | MEET | DATE | PLACE | ROUND | ||
| 4:26.83 | Indoor | Mile | USM Relays | 2nd | Finals | > | ||
| 4:31.13 | Indoor | Mile | Bowdoin Relays | 2nd | Finals | > | ||
