Mount Vernon High School sophomore Logan Eggert is only 15 years old and has already won a national track competition. He finished first in the 2,000-meter steeplechase competition August 4 in Houston at the AAU Junior Olympic Games.
The race required running extremely fast while also clearing obstacles such as hurdles and water pits, Logan told the Mount Vernon News. Eggert won with a time of 6 minutes, 38 seconds, defeating 28 competitors from across the U.S. in the 15-16 age category.
Eggert had to win both district and regional qualifying races to make it to the finals in Houston.
“My mom was looking at me on the Jumbotron and my face was lighting up as I crossed the finished line,” Eggert said. “Toward the middle of the race, the guy in second and I went back and forth. I kind of let him set the pace. But the last lap, I just gunned it and ended up having the better kick at the end.”
When he was younger, Eggert played soccer where his speed became readily apparent.
“I was good simply because I was fast,” Eggert said. “I was one of those players who could stay on the field and keep running and running.”
In seventh grade, he found his way to track.
“One of my friends said I should join the track team, and I went and did that,” Eggert said.
He chose distance running as his preferred competition.
“I had a pretty good season in seventh grade,” he said. “A lot of people said I should try cross country. I enjoyed it a lot. I ended up quitting soccer to completely run cross country at the high school level.”
Eggert entered his sophomore year this fall at Mount Vernon coming off a national win in Houston. He ran an average of 40 miles a week this summer in training.
He will run cross country for Mount Vernon this fall and track in the spring, starting in February.
High school cross country meets are 5 kilometers, double the distance of middle school meets. Eggert’s best time last year was 17:32.
“This year, me and my coach have been talking and he thinks I am going to absolutely shatter that time,” Eggert said. “This year, I want to run in the very low 16s. That’s my goal. If I beat it early on, I guess I’ll have to make a new goal.”
He knows of Ohio state cross county championships that have been won by times in the 15-minute range.
The oldest of six children in his family, Eggert hopes to go on to run track in college although the rules won’t allow college recruiters to approach him until next summer after he completes his sophomore season.
“I feel like I can do as much as put my mind to,” he said. “I’m going to work as hard as I can. Natural talent is good to have in middle school. But if you want to be good at every level after that, you’re going to have to work very hard.”
He runs so much now he doesn’t have to worry about his weight. He doesn’t drink soda but occasionally eats junk food. He still finds the time and energy to play high school basketball as well for Mount Vernon.
Long-distance runners can keep improving up into their late 20s, said Eggert, who now stands at 5-foot -11 and a half.
Each Thursday, Eggert and other Mount Vernon track team members have a mile trial run.
“I beat my fastest time from last season by 10 seconds,” he said.
His time was 4:37.
Breaking a four-minute mile is a feat very few high school runners ever reach.
“Last I checked, there were 13 high (school) athletes who had ever done that,” he said.
Almost all of them were seniors, so Eggert has a few years to get ready.
“I feel like I have a lot more space to grow and I definitely can make a big jump," he said. “Come senior year, I don’t even know what’s possible. My goal for this year is run a 4:17 or lower. I could be in striking distance come junior year.”
