PA Salute To Seniors: Josh Lachman - Manheim Central HS (10th-12th)
(Church Farm School - 9th grade)
Four years in Cross Country (4 time District qualifier, 1 time state qualifier)
Three Years in Track and Field (3 time District qualifier, 1 time state qualifier)
What was your most memorable race/competition?
My most memorable moment in my running career was definitely at the PIAA District 3 AAA Track and Field Championship meet this year.
Having the opportunity to run against such a stacked field in the 4x800, 800, and 4x400 was just such an experience, it was hard to ask for more. However, call me greedy, but I did and I ran the fastest split of my life in the 4x800 (1:57.??) and beat out some really good runners as well as helped in shattering our school record in the 4x800 (with a time of 8:00) and qualifying for the State Meet. The day did not end there though, as we also broke our school record in the 4x400 with a time of 3:25 and got on the medal stand for that event as well. What makes these moments so memorable is that at the start of the year, no one, including myself expected our 4x800 or 4x400 teams to do much of anything this year. But, four of the best runners I'll ever know and myself really made it happen when it was crunch time.
Where did you face your biggest competition?
My biggest competition personally was at the PIAA State Championships in Cross Country this year by far. I was honored to run on the same field as some of the big names in PA high school running.
Out of all of your high school accomplishments, which stands out the most?
I think the accomplishment I am most proud of is placing 4th in the Lancaster-Lebanon League Championship meet in the 800. Coming into the year, as in past years, I was always the jack-of-all-trades for my team doing anything from 400 to the mile as well as the high jump and various relays. So, I never expected to do much for myself since most of my effort was always being placed into the 4x800 and 4x400. I've always been one to put the team first because I'd rather let myself down in an individual event than let everyone on my relay down because I was selfish. It was just really gratifying to be able to say I was one of the best 800 runners in my league, and I did it without specializing or letting my respective relays down either.
If you could do it all over again, what would you change about your athletic career in high school?
I would change how I used my summers and winters, for sure. I was never one to really train throughout my career and it was not until this past winter that I did some work in the offseason. I lifted a lot because I assumed this year I would be a 400 or 800 man (turns out the extra muscle slowed me down some in the mile), but I did not get much running in due to a hip tendinitis injury I was recovering from due to the XC season.
What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
Generally, I have been very blessed in my running career to not have suffered any serious injuries throughout, but my biggest obstacles came mentally. Throughout my years running at Manheim I always felt second best and under-appreciated as an athlete. Especially in track, I always felt like I was only there to fill relays and that was it; my individual success did not matter to my coach. I never was the athlete to get the extra coaching after practice on blocks (to this day I still cannot use blocks) or get the customized workout plan for the off season. I was always just that guy. It really got into my head after a while and I almost quit track after an incredibly disappointing meet late in the season in which I found out a junior on the team was going to be entered to run in the 800 at the league meet over me if I did not put up a time quickly (my best at that time was 2:05). However, I finally talked to my distance coach about it and vented some of the frustrations to her about how I felt. The next meet was just a dual meet against a less than competitive distance squad, so naturally, my hopes were not high of putting out a time in the 800. However, when I stepped to the line, I remembered what my distance coach had told me in our talk. She said, "Josh, if you want it, I know you can get it. Just go after it." So, with a new found determination I took off during the race and never looked back. I crossed the finish line with a time of 2:00 and earned my spot on in the league meet. That was the turning point in my season and I later went 1:59.5 and earned a birth in the District Championship meet.
What will you miss the most?
I will definitely miss the rush of a good finish on the track where everyone is screaming for you or your competitor and you just fight it out to the finish line. Win or lose, that's always such a great feeling, knowing that you pushed yourself to the limit and helped push your competitor as well.
Do you have any advice for younger athletes?
My advice would be to train in the off season and definitely don't let success go to your head. Most of running is mental and I have seen so many great young runners let the pride get to their head and they end up falling apart in their latter years of competition because they just cannot handle losing. If you are a good runner, that is great, but be humble about it because there is always a better runner out there. Don't be that guy on your team that no one likes because every time you lose you make up an excuse as to why you lost, but when you win, you never let people hear the end of it. If you are good, people will notice you, trust me. Just keep your head a reasonable size and just go out there and have fun competing, win or lose.
How have your coaches influenced your performances and your life goals overall?
Honestly, my coach from CFS, Coach Eric Horsey, really made me into the runner I am today. Though he only coached me one year, that man gave me so much advice that I still found myself using at the State Meet a few weeks ago. I could not have been blessed with a better coach to introduce me to the sports of Track and Cross Country. At Manheim, my coach and I initially did not get along, but we grew to respect each other and he helped me to realize that running is not an individual sport. If you run for yourself, the gratification of winning will be so much less than if you have a team to run for. I thank him for teaching me how to be a team player and not only want to run for myself.
What are your college plans?
I am going to attend Drexel University in the fall to major in International Business with a minor in Korean. Unfortunately, Drexel does not have a cross country or track and field program, so my running career ended at the State meet a few weeks back.
Shout-Outs?
I'd like to give shout outs to my 4x800 and 4x400 teams of Nathaneal, Mason, Wade, and Jordan. It was great running with you guys and I wouldn't have wanted to share those records with anyone else. Also, shout out to my little bro Nate who is definitely gonna be a force to be reckoned with this year and next year's XC seasons. Go get 'em.
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