Jacob Burcham Interview
by Coach McMillion
On December 4th,
Jacob Burcham, a sophomore from Cabell Midland High School, got 16th place at
the Nike Cross Country Nationals at Portland Meadows / Portland, Oregon in a
time of 16:44.9. Here he talks about his most recent accomplishment at NXN and
his quest for the four minute mile.
1) Can you sum up
your weekend at Nike Cross Country Nationals?
I went to a national
cross country meet known for its top of the line competition in the U.S. and
placed 16th earning 3rd team All-American honors. It was a very fun trip and
Nike treats you very well. I hope to go next year with Ona Elite.
2) How was the
flight down?
I slept from here to
Minneapolis, so it wasn't bad. Then from Minneapolis to Portland, I sat beside
Tyler Tate, the 4th place finisher in our region and got to know him.
3) Being the first
West Virginia runner to qualify for NXN, describe in your own words what NXN
was like!
It was one of the
best experiences of my life. Oregon is amazing, and the Nike campus is so cool.
I got to meet knew people from around the country and everybody got free stuff
from Nike, including customized racing spikes. I hope to go back, but hopefully
I can bring a team next time.
4) What kind of
training did you use to prepare for NXN?
I trained the same as
I had all year, just extended it another month.
5) Do you feel
that you were mentally & physically prepared for NXN?
I think I was
prepared, but now that I have some experience at that level, I'll be more
prepared next year.
6) What kind of
advice did Coach Parsons give before your race?
He mainly just told
me to expect the worse. It was muddy, wet, and running fast would be
impossible. It was going to be a strength race.
7) Were you at all
intimidated or nervous because of the caliber of runners?
No, I wasn't
expecting to win the race, but I wasn't intimidated by anyone.
8) What strategy
did you use at NXN?
I tried to get out
fast, but under control. I tried to maintain a spot near 20th, then at the end
make a move. Looking back, I think if I would've started out faster to get in
with a faster chase group. I might have ended up in a better position to make a
move.
9) Did the
conditions (cold, wet, muddy, gusty) play a role?
They played a huge
role. The winning time was 15:59, a very slow time for this caliber of a race.
It was hard enough to stay on your feet, let alone trying to surge or make any
quick moves to gain spots.
10) Can you tell
us what are your top three XC racing accomplishments this year?
1st - Achieving 3rd
team All-American honors.
2nd - Winning states
as an individual.
3rd - Winning states
as a team for the second year in a row.
11) How did it
feel to be the top American sophomore and to get All-American?
Well, actually there
was a sophomore from Kenya that just moved here and he finished second - Edward
Cheserek. But even being the second sophomore, it felt great to know that I was
3rd out of returning runners next year to NXN. Also, getting All-American was
really cool, that's been one of my goals since middle school, but I didn't
expect to do it as a sophomore.
12) This has been
a remarkable XC season! We had two West Virginia runners to qualify for
Nationals - You at NXN and Cody Pelliccioni at Foot Locker. What advice or
comments would you say to him for Foot Locker Nationals?
I'd tell him to go
represent WV!
13) What are your
future running and/or racing goals?
Four minutes for the
1600 meter run. I don't know when it'll come, but I always try to set my goals
high.
14) Track season
is almost upon us. What track meets are you working towards?
States of course, New
balance Nationals...I think, and possibly Penn Relays.
15) Despite the
difficulty, high school runners keep chasing the sub-four minute mile. Only
four American high schoolers have run the mile in less than four minutes: Jim
Ryun, Tim Danielson, Marty Liquori, and Alan Webb. You had to know that this
question was coming sooner or later! Will you go after the 4 minute barrier?
Yes, I will! I think
running 4 minutes as a Sophomore is the most difficult goal I have set for
myself, but so far I haven't fell short. So why not?
Good luck to Jake
in his up-and-coming track season! In his quest to break the four minute mile.
Jacob Burcham is coached
by Chris Parsons of Cabell Midland High School.
Visit their
website at: www.midlandrunning.com