THE RECORD HOLDER IS BACK! Jake Brophy did everything right in 2014. He broke 15:10, he won his league, he won the district, and he shattered the state meet course record by 20 seconds! To cap it off, he qualified for Foot Locker Finals and finished 25th in San Diego. Now that he's a senior, he's reaching for the stars to better that incredible season. Brophy took the time to update us on his preparations for his senior season!
How has your summer training been going? When did you start? How many miles/week? Can you attach a week’s worth of training?
My summer training has been going well. I started back in June running an easy 30 miles a week or so. I’ve built up to about 50/55 miles a week and we will only increase slightly from here. I am very excited about this season as well as the rest of the team. We have had a pretty good turnout at our unofficial practices and I’m looking forward to see how this affects the rest of the season.
Saturday's are typically our long run days with about 25% of our weekly mileage. Sunday's we have off and Monday we do about 20% of our mileage for the week. Tuesday's and Thursday's are typically our workout days, and what we do varies each week. During the summer most of our workouts are at tempo pace to slightly faster than tempo. The team is looking strong and we are ready to take on the season.
What meets will you be competing in this season? Which meet are you looking forward to the most and why?
We are going to a few invitationals this year including Viking, Briarwood, PIAA foundation, and our own CB East Invite. I'm looking forward to the East Invite the most because it will be on our new home course, which will most likely incorporate our newly built stadium. In the post season, I plan to race Foot Locker Regionals and hopefully return to Foot Locker Nationals this December. A few teammates plan to run Regionals this year as well, and I'm excited to share that experience with them.
As the defending state champion in the AAA division, how have you prepared to spend the year being chased by all the top contenders looking to beat you?
I am planning big things this year
and I am eager to see who comes with me.
I think we have a chance as a state to send the same amount, or more,
athletes to San Diego this year than we did the last. I am hoping for a monster
year for all of PA.
The bigger the stage, the better you perform. How do you achieve such success on the big stages? Does the pressure of the big stage something you have embraced in the past year?
May that continue.... Typically, the bigger races happen later in the season or around the same time I'm in peak condition. Going into those races with the confidence that comes from being in peak form, can really help a performance. Pressure is only something you put on yourself, so if you just treat the big meets like dual meets, the pressure is negligible. That's a lot easier said than done, it's really about learning to manage the stress/nerves before a big race.
Just like every season, competition in District 1 is very strong. Last year, you and Casey Comber went tooth and nail in all the big meets. Who will be your toughest competition as you try to defend your championship?
There will always be someone who has a big year, and I'm excited to see who that will be this year. Obviously, Jaxson and Josh Hoey will be tough competition this year as they have been the past three.
You were a Foot Locker Finalist in 2014 with a 5th place regional finish and 25th national title meet finish. What are your expectations should you return to the Final in San Diego?
I would like to walk away from San Diego with a National Championship this year. I know it is an ambitious goal, but it's something I'm willing to devote myself to for the next 5 months. I will be running for the win in December.
Talk about the rest of your team. After missing state qualification by a mere 11 points, what is the squad doing to prevent history from repeating itself? Who else on your team is looking to have a big season?
Coming home from districts last year was not a fun bus ride. Many of us, even the junior varsity members, were devastated by the 11 point miss. I believe the problem was in the way we mentally approached the season. We all wanted to race really fast really early, without much consideration for the championship season. This year we have adjusted our horizons as a team and fully intend on making States.
We lost Connor Sands, Josh Wood, and Dan Powell this year, and their absence won't go unnoticed. However, Josh Goetz has shown the ability to fill Connors shoes, and then some. I'm really excited to see how Josh's season will progress, as he is very motivated to make it to States this year. Thomas Jordon, Will Shultz, and Carlos Velez, are three gutsy guys to watch out for this year, they are doing really well in these summer workouts. Ata Shahideh is another outstanding athlete with a ton of potential and he could have a breakout year. My little brother, John Brophy, is another one to watch out for. He's been putting in the work this summer, and I think he will have a chance to run varsity this year if he wants it. He's only a sophomore, but he's got a desire to succeed unlike any other.
And then there is our incoming freshman class. We will be getting 4 new additions to the team, all with the possibility of running varsity this year. David Endres, 4:35 miler in 8th grade, and CYO National Champion in the 5k, will make a nice addition to our roster and I really look forward to training with him this year. He seems like a very motivated kid, and he will fit right in. Connor Sands may have left, but two more Sands came up to replace him. Cade and Cole Sands have been lighting up the local road 5k series in the years past and erasing many of the records I held. These two did this with minimal training and I'm eager to see what they can do under Coach Losorelli. Alex Bardwell is another exciting freshman, and he is looking very strong at summer practices. I'm really looking forward to our first meet and seeing how the team shapes up.
