Today, we salute Luke Everidge of Central Dauphin East. Everidge closed out a terrific career at CD East and will compete at Shippensburg in the fall. He was a multi-time state qualifier, finishing up his high school with open PRs of 49.84 in the 400 meters and 1:56.53 in the 800 meters. He also holds a 5K XC PR of 16:41.
Throughout the end of June and through July we we be honoring our graduating seniors. To submit your own questionnaire to be posted on the front page of PennTrackXC, check out this page and email your responses to Dan Beck (daniel.beck@flosports.tv).
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What was your most memorable race/competition?
Without a doubt the state 4x400 in 2015, my sophomore year. If you remember, we had to fastest prelim time by about a second and were pretty confident we could beat Cheltenham that year. So the final rolled around, and we had a few meter lead on Cheltenham going into the anchor leg. It was gonna be a great match up between Charles Bowman (Now at UVA) and John Lewis (Now at Clemson). Unfortunately we ended up dropping the baton on that anchor leg, but still knowing we were vying to be the best in the state was a feeling like no other.
Where did you face your biggest competition?
PA's 800 field is always insane. Even at the district level, D3 puts up multiple outstanding 800 runners so it was always fun but challenging to run against those guys.
Out of all of your high school accomplishments, which stands out the most?
I'll never forget our 3rd place finish at NB Nationals in 2015 in the 4x400. It took a while to sink in that we had just gotten third at nationals, but the feeling was great nonetheless.
If you could do it all over again, what would you change about your athletic career in high school?
I would be smarter about injuries and ALWAYS go to physical therapy. Staying healthy in track is not easy and through much of my high school career I took my health for granted.
What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
My foot injury senior year that basically took over my entire outdoor season and part of indoor. I was able to run a few 4x4's in the post season, but it definitely wasn't the season I wanted to have.
What will you miss the most?
The guys and friends I ran against all the time. After a while, you get to know a lot of guys pretty well and meet awesome people. I'll definitely miss a lot of them.
Do you have any advice for younger athletes?
BE SMART ABOUT STAYING HEALTHY. Trust me you DO NOT want to spend an entire season injured if you can help it. Stretch, hydrate, and eat right. It's okay for your body to hurt, so don't be afraid to speak up if it does. Better safe than sorry!
How have your coaches influenced your performances and your life goals overall?
My entire coaching staff shaped me into the person I am today. Without a doubt, they taught me many life lessons inside and outside of track. I'm really grateful for them.
What are your post-high school plans?
I'll be attending and running for Shippensburg University.
Shout-Outs?
Greg Snow, Aaron Arp, James Mcfarland ... and all of the other guys I got to train with. It was awesome. And like I said, my coaches. I appreciate everything they did so much.
