When it comes to running, Blake Evertsen, junior, is among the best ever at Central. This status was recently cemented by his record breaking performance in the two mile race on April 9 at the Arcadia Invitational Meet in Los Angeles.

The previous record, set by Jon Thanos, dated back to 1983. Evertsen broke the record by .24 seconds, bringing the new best time from 9:06.6 minutes to 9:06.36.

“Running 9:06 was a confidence booster for me since now I know I’m faster than last year,” Evertsen said. “After I got back from California, I got a lot of congratulations from my teammates, coaches, and parents.”

Evertsen’s coach, Noah Lawrence, was very proud of the accomplishment as well.

“Blake’s work ethic is second to none. He has an amazing capacity to push himself to his limits. Our school has been competing in Track and Field since the beginning of the 20th century. Any time an athlete breaks a school record, it is an astonishing achievement,” Coach Lawrence said.

Although a lot of excitement was generated around the record, Evertsen hopes to accomplish even more this season.

“Since cross-country it has been a goal of mine to run 8:55 in the 3200. With all the training and miles I’ve put since winter I’m confident I can achieve it,” Evertsen said.

Coach Lawrence agrees that Evertsen is destined to achieve more.

“While it is nice to break a record, it will inevitably be broken at some point. But, championships can never be taken away. Blake’s goal is to win state in the 3200,” Coach Lawrence said.

Evertsen is a consistent athlete in meets because of the hard work he puts into practice.

“Talent alone can only get you so far, and if you want to get to the level he is currently performing at, you need to commit to quality consistent training,” said Nathan Hill, senior. “[Evertsen] is someone that definitely leads by example.”

The boys’ state track meet will be held in Charleston, Ill. on May 26-28. For more information on the track team, click here.