Senior Junior Lopez added another accomplishment to his historic season after breaking the school’s 800-meter record at the CSL South Conference meet at South on May 15 with a time of 1:53.07, making him 7th in state for the 800-meter race. Lopez beat the previous record of 1:55.08, set by Brian Hiltebrand in 2022, by 2.01 seconds. The performance officially gave Lopez every major distance record in the p, including the 800-meter, 1,600-meter, 3,200-meter and 3-mile record.

The 800-meter race was not one Lopez regularly competed in as he had only run four open 800-meter races this year after focusing primarily on longer events. Lopez’s ability to stay composed during races separates him from other runners, senior Ryan Taylor, Varsity Boys’ Track and Field Co-Captain, said.

“You can really tell when most runners are tired,” Taylor said. “Lopez always looks relaxed. Even late in races, he never really seems panicked or out of control.”

Much of his success comes from mentally simplifying races and trusting the finishing speed he developed earlier in his running career, Lopez said. Despite his accomplishments, Lopez said he hopes younger runners understand that success does not happen immediately.

“Even if you feel behind, you can still become something great if you’re willing to put in the work,” Lopez said.