Runner leads the nation, breaks his own record

Intermountain Catholic

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Luke Puskedra leads the nation in the 3,200 meter race. Puskedra was the Athlete of the Year in cross country and track and field, and the Distance Runner of the Year in Utah for cross country. IC photo by Christine Young

SALT LAKE CITY — Luke Puskedra, a recent Judge Memorial Catholic High School graduate, leads the nation in the 3,200 meter by breaking his own record of 8:56 (eight minutes, 56 seconds) with a time of 8:46.40, which was 36 seconds ahead of his nearest competitor. He accomplished this milestone in the State Championship Track finals at Brigham Young University (BYU) May 16-17. The next closest time in the nation is 8:48.9 by Chris Derrick from Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville, Ill.

Puskedra won the 3A state title in the 1,600-meter in 4:09.29, and earned his place as the fastest runner in the high school mile race. In the state tournament, Puskedra participated in the 1,600, 3,200, 800, and 800 in the medly relay. The only records Puskedra is breaking now are his own, which are already the top records to be broken. He has two straight Arcadia Invitational 3,200-meter victories. Puskedra’s record for the mile (1,600) is 4:08, and for the two mile (3,200) was 8:49.

Puskedra has been recruited by the University of Oregon with a full-ride scholarship. The University of Oregon won the Cross Country National title this year.

"The coach, Vin Lannana, is really good," said Puskedra. "When I went up there for my visit, it seemed like I fit well into the program. It is definitely a good atmosphere there for running. The whole community really supports running. They are the only college track team that has season tickets for track and field. It is a big sports system with a lot of tradition. The weather cooperates a little bit better than here with more rain than snow. It is at sea level, and training here in Utah helps a lot for running at sea level. You do not feel as fatigued as you do here.

"We have not been doing that many instate meets," said Puskedra. "But it has been a blessing for me to be able to travel to California and Boston, and have the support from my family and coaches. I could not be happier with the times I have been running. I have been running personal records, not as much instate, but a lot out of state."

"Puskedra set new course records in every major invitational he ran in," said Dan Quinn, Judge Memorial track and field coach. "He was one of the top distance runners, if not the top distance runner in the country. He was the first student from Judge Memorial to go to the Foot Locker National Tournament. He placed fifth, so he won All American there. He definitely had the confidence and the training to be the best in the nation. I think he has proven that by going out earlier in the indoor track season to the Boston games. He basically raced the 1,600 and ran 4:08, which is the fastest time so far in the nation. Running that set the stage for everything else that has happened.

Puskedra went to the Simplot Games at the Idaho State University Holt Arena in Pocatello, and set the meet record by running the 1,600 in about 4:10 at a higher altitude. He also ran in the Nike Indoor and ran the fifth fastest time ever in the nation by a high school student in the 3,200 with a time of 8:49. His next big race was in Arcadia, Calif., where he ran the 3,200 in 8:46, which is the leading time in the nation.

"Two weeks ago at the Brigham Young Invitational, Puskedra ran the first ever 3,200 in less than nine minutes in 8:56, which was at a higher altitude.

"Puskedra and I talk a lot about the challenges he faces in any given race," said Quinn. "He faces worthy opponents that are there to race him, the high expectations that everyone puts on him, the clock, and ultimately he has to beat himself.

"He loves the game of it," said Quinn. "He calls himself a blue collar runner because he got mad at himself at the Arcadia Invitational because he did not push the first mile. He still won in great time, but he was upset because he did not push the limit. He ran to win the race instead of running to set the time. He knows he can run faster. So the last few races he has been trying to refine that passion, beat the clock, hammer himself, and do it to beat his own personal best. Every time he shows up everyone expects him to break a new record. He is well known, and well respected for pushing limits that have not been pushed yet.

"I have coached Puskedra for four years," said Quinn. "His freshman year, he had Pat Smythe as mentor, and he was a great role model. Luke always admired us as a running team. Smythe pulled Luke under his wing and encouraged him and set that tone. During his sophomore and junior year he grew about 10 inches, so he was adjusting to new height, and still trying to push the envelope. In his junior year, he came out as the lead runner in track. Then all of a sudden in his senior year, the tide changed in that he is now mentoring younger runners and encouraging them. He wants to keep that tradition of being the mentor and top miler in the state.

"Puskedra wants to run," said Quinn. "He wants and believes he can change the way Americans think about running distance. He wants people to know that in distance running you do not sit and kick, you push the envelope. You do not run slow in the beginning of a race and then try to out race everyone. That way you do not care about the clock, you just care about winning a race. To Puskedra, winning a race is not important, setting a record is, so push the pace as hard as you can from the beginning. If he goes out, wins a race and someone else sets a personal best, Puskedra will celebrate that race because he pushed the envelope and helped someone else reach their personal best."

Puskedra’s next attempt is to beat 8:40 in the 3,200 in June. He will compete in the Prefontaine Classic Two-mile June 8, and the Nike Outdoor Championship June 17-18.

Puskedra would like to major in sports business or sports marketing.