photo courtesy of westlake track
Austin Brower is a Junior distance runner from West Lake High School. He has had a very impressive season so far, improving nearly every time he steps on the track. This past weekend he ran a double that very few in the history of the state have, first running 4:15 in the 1600m and then coming back and running 1:55 in the 800m. We chose him as the feature athlete of the week, and had a chance to catch up with Austin, see what doing that’s working so well, and get to know him a little better. Here’s our conversation.
First off, its been a pretty awesome season for you so far.
I’d say so
Well 2 weeks ago at Desert Hills you ran 2 PR’s, were those the first two of the season?
No, I actually ran two PR’s at UVU as well.
Oh what did you run at UVU?
4:20 and 2 flat.
And then at Desert Hills did you go 4:17?
Yeah 4:17 or 4:18 and then I ran a 1:56
And then 2 weeks later you go 4:15 and 1:55 right?
Yeah.
That’s pretty impressive man. So what have you been doing to run times like that?
Well I trust in what my coaches do, and I trust in what they tell me to do, and then I just go out and I run. I just run, that’s all I really do
Well when you started the season did you think you would run a 4:15 and 1:55?
Well at the beginning of the season I decided that I want to be the best. I want to win State. So I am willing to push myself as hard as is necessary. But now, everyone else in 4a is going just as fast. It’s going to be even better.
Well you’ve put yourself in the position to have a good year. If you haven’t done the work yourself it doesn’t matter how fast or slow everyone else is right?
Right
But being well prepared gives you a different kind of confidence?
Right. And I’m just a goofy guy anyway. I get kind of loopy before races instead of nervous. I’m pretty sure everyone on the start line is annoyed at me.
What are you pre race rituals you do on the start line?
I like to shake out my legs, make little jokes here and there, make fun of how much smaller I am than everyone else… just try to lighten the mood.
So tell me a little about the program at Westlake, how’s the team looking?
Our team is actually very deep. My teammates push themselves in workouts and they keep up with me.
And who should we watch out for? Anyone ready for a breakout race?
Trevor Gibby in the 3200 he’s pretty good, and then Trey Trusty is a sophomore, he is getting there. He runs a 2:03 and a 4:34 I think, but I know he can do it, he runs with me in hard workouts..
This weekend you going to run at BYU?
Yes I am, I’m just going to run the 1600.
Well you’ve run a lot of races the past few weeks so just one race might be good for you.
Yep.
So you ran 4:15 last weekend. What do you want to do this weekend?
Well every time I go to a meet I try to tell myself go big or go home, so I’m going to try to really push myself. I want to get the state record. At least the 4a one. And I’m only 4 seconds off. And with the competition I have its very possible.
So what do you like outside running?
I’m really big into psychology and exercise science. I love psychology with a passion. I also want to become a seminary teacher.
Do you do a lot of visualization for races?
Yeah, I like to just put myself up mentally, because I know if I can do it in my head I can do it out in the field.
Any other talents people should know about?
Well I like to put everything to music. It’s a little funny thing I do. I re-write songs for everything. Even educational things. (Coach) Durham rewrites things in class to make them more entertaining. That helps me be less bored and help pump people up. I’m very light hearted… I like to have fun.
What’s the hardest workout you’ve ever done at Westlake?
The hardest I’ve ever done was last year. It was 8x400 with 1 to 1 rest or so and each one at 65 seconds or faster. That was pretty hard. This year they all seem hard at the time.
What would you say is your favorite workout?
200’s. I love 200’s. We do anywhere from 12 to 14 of them. I like to go fast and its quick and easy. Kind of like why I like the 800 so much. It’s better than the 8 laps of the 2 mile.
Any funny running related stories?
We just like to have fun on the team. We tease each other and we just have fun. I think all teams like to do that, but we do it a lot.
Do you have any superstitions about running?
Yes! Never mention the weather. If you mention it, then it’s going to change in the next 5 minutes.
So you never mention the weather?
Yeah we call it the “W” word. It’s the whole team superstition, and mine too. But runners hate weather. Never mention the weather.
And lastly, who are some of the guys you like to race against? And who do you get excited to race against?
Isaac Faux, Andrew Brewer. I really want to compete against Jordan Cross and Ben Saarel, because those guys are really good. I mean really good. I want to compete against Jake Heslington, just that whole group of guys. I’ve become buddies with a good portion of them. I just like racing with them. Especially Isaac. He’s always fun. Always patting me on the back and stuff.
And that’s Austin Brower. Keep an eye on him this next weekend and the rest of the season. He is on a roll right now and has his sights aimed high. Best of luck to him and the Westlake Thunder the rest of this season
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