Defending AA boys 3200 meter champion Dominic Hockenbury of Lake Lehman has had a strong junior season with plenty of highs through the bumps in the road of a long season. Dominic was kind enough to share some thoughts with us as he prepares to defend his title next weekend!
As a defending state champion in outdoor track, was there any added pressure to perform at an even higher level this spring? Have you been able to keep your motivation at a high level?
Coming into this spring I definitely felt there was more expectations for me to defend my state title in the 3200m and improve my best from last year of 9:17. We came into the season with the goals of running well at the Penn Relays and West Chester Henderson Invites and to see how close I could get to running 9 minutes or under for the 3200m. Staying motivated has not been a problem for me this year because we always have a new race to aim for and time to hit.
Indoor track finished with an All American berth in the 5000, but also with a near miss in the 3000 at states, one of your first bumps in the road. How difficult was that finish to handle when it was over?
After the finish of the 3000m at indoor states I was a little disappointed in getting out kicked that late in the race, but we moved on really quick from that and began to prepare for the New Balance Nationals 5000m. Our goal for my indoor season was to gain experience, stay in shape and to learn something from every race. Every race during the season from states to the Nationals 5k, I learned something new that I already has or will benefit me this outdoor season.
Your performances in the past year earned you a berth in the Penn Relays 3000. Talk about your first trip to Penn and your performance.
The Penn Relays carnival was a great experience. I was able to watch the college men's DMR of America and catch up with my good friend Dominic Deluca. After warming up and making my way through the paddocks, the gun went off and I got out to a good start coming through the first lap near the top of the pack. Around the second lap I got boxed in and fell over a fallen runner, during the rest of the race I worked on closing the distance to the front pack but was not able to do so. I hope to take what I learned from my race this year and come back next year with a better performance.
Despite finishing 7th at Henderson, you ran a 9:06 3200. How much did that race help your season and your confidence?
Henderson became a big confidence boost, especially after my race at Penn. The race gave us a good idea what kind of shape I was in at this point of the season. After the race I sat down with my coaches and we found what I needed to work on for States.
What's the hardest thing about defending a championship?
The hardest thing about being a defending champion has to be that everyone and myself has the expectation of me willing again. I need to use these expectations as motivation to work hard in defending my title.
Other than victory, what is your goal for the state meet?
Other than victory my goals are to run a new personal best, enjoy the time at Ship with all my friends and family, and cheer on all of my District 2 friends and teammates as they compete for state medals.
Any postseason running?
After the seasons over my coaches and I have discussed the possibility of running the 5000m at New Balance Nationals depending on how I am feeling after the state meet. If not, I will take a short break from running then start to log base miles for the upcoming cross country season.
