Justin Iler Is Faster Than You

Justin+Iler+Is+Faster+Than+You

Spencer Thomas, Staff Writer

When the cross-country team returned from summer break, it became clear to Coach Jack Somers that sophomore Justin Iler was ready to have a spectacular season. Already coming off an MVP season as a freshman, Iler has dropped over a minute and a half from his time at the regional meet last year and continues to shatter expectations.

        For those who don’t know, cross-country is a grueling sport. The typical course is 5 kilometers, or about 3.1 miles. Courses can consist of various inclines and declines and can go over many different terrains. For instance, the Clements invitational, which was held here in Hunting Valley about two weeks ago, included running over grass, gravel, and pavement. A strong time for high school boys ranges from about 17-20 minutes. Justin Iler runs it in under 16. To put this in perspective, Iler could likely run the distance from the student entrance to Gilmour’s entrance in about 10 minutes. Outside from Ilers incredible athletic assistance to the team, Somers says he helps the team in other ways too. “He is inspiring everyone on the team to pick up their game and raise the bar…. They want to push themselves to be like him.”

        This year’s team is ready to make a run deep into the postseason this year. They have come within a few points of the regional tournament in each of the past two seasons, and this year’s team seems like they have what it takes to finally break that barrier and compete in the regional meet. Iler will be a huge part of that goal. Somers says. “I think that Justin has a really good shot at making the state meet this year.” Obviously, participating in the state meet is the goal for everyone on the team, but Justin has practically already puncued his ticket.

        Iler currently has the third best time in Prepper history, and so far, nothing is looking like it could slow him down. He is part of a special team that is composed of talent that is posed for a historic run. It is going to be exciting to see what this year holds, and we will all be ready. An important meet that the students could come out and support the team is the meet at Gilmour on September 29th at 4:30 PM. They will certainly be treated to a special performance.