Name: Spencer Dunn
School: Edward Little High School
What was your most memorable race?
Most Memorable Race: There have been a lot of memorable races over the past four years, but at the top has to be my Freshman year at States. The group of racers and the heat made for an incredibly interesting and competitive race. It was a toss up going into it, very much up for grabs, and to come out of it with a victory as a Freshman was awesome.
Who would you consider your biggest competition over your four years?
Biggest Competition over 4 years: The SMAA boys especially from Gorham, in particular Drew York and also Stephen Duffy from Massebesic. There are always races inside of races and you don't always know which one you are in; they taught me that, and always brought it at States. Also shoutout to Billy Chambers for always making races fun at KVACs, we have each other to thank for some great races and record times.
If you could do it all over again what would you change about your running career in high school?
My greatest accomplishments were winning Class A states freshman and senior year, winning the KVAC title 3 years in a row, and managing to break the conference record, earning 8 New Balance All American Awards including 1 New Balance Outdoor National Championship and representing Team USA 3 times at the US vs. Canada Dual Meet.
If you could do it all over again what would you change about your running career in high school?
If I could change one thing about my athletic career I would have pushed myself more in both running XC and race walk. I could have put in greater effort and trained even harder to set myself up for greater improvement in every season each year.
What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
The biggest obstacle for me to overcome was a lack of places to train in the winter for race walk. Working on my own and having to motivate myself was tough because there was no one nearby to train with, it was just me and my stopwatch. Having three coaching staffs at Edward Little in my four years was also a tough adjustment to make.
What will you miss the most?
I will miss having my team, especially the Edward Little D-squad for being a barrel of laughs and keeping things fun through the crazy workouts. I will also miss being able to race walk in a race that is anything less than 10 kilometers.
What advice you would give to younger athletes?
My advice to younger athletes is pretty simple, there will always be someone faster and stronger, rather than give up, allow them to bring out the best in you. Just make sure you have a good time doing something you love.
What influence has your coach had with respect to your performance and overall life goals?
There have been a handful of coaches over the years and I think that my dealings with certain ones taught me that sometimes you need to focus on yourself and do what is best for you, positive environments are always the best places to be. My current coach Tom Eastler has been a gem, and he always brightens up my day and has relentlessly encouraged me to go faster, be stronger, smile more, and enjoy it.
What are your college plans?
I will be attending Boston University in the fall, majoring in Biomedical Engineering. I am hoping to continue race walking in the future and will see where the road takes me.
Who would you like to say thank you to?
I would like to thank my lovely parents for carting me around to every race within a 3000 mile radius. I would like to thank my coach Dr. Tom Eastler for pushing me to do my best and believing in me when I did not believe in myself. I would also like to thank Adam Robinson for being an awesome teammate even after graduating. And of course my big sis Abby Dunn for being one of the loudest cheerleaders even from 1000 miles away pursuing her own college track career.
For those of you out there who do not consider race walk a "serious" event, I assure you, IT IS. On both the state and national level, to the people who train for it and take it seriously, it is just as competitive as any running or field event. DO NOT knock it until you try it.
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Do you know a class of 2016 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