SEATTLE- Sitting in class, Isaac Lewis takes note of his assignments, with running in the back of his mind. On top of all of his homework, he reminisces of time off, either playing video games or practicing for band. But his schedule demands that he stays on task. As the bell rings, though, his thoughts shift and his body readies itself for something new. He has a cross country meet that afternoon.
With a lot on his mind, he stares down the course, ready to take on whatever challenges he faces. The starting pistol fires, and with all of his training coming to fruition, he speeds down the trail.
On Saturday, September 28, O'Dea senior cross country runner Isaac Lewis broke a personal record at the Nike Portland Invitational. With a time of 16.48.0 in the 5000 meter race, he placed 5th overall in a stacked competition full of runners from all over the Pacific Northwest, helping the Irish finish 3rd in the meet. As one of the fastest and most consistent runners at O'Dea, he has spent a lot of time improving his speed and technique.
It wasn't always like this though. When he first came to O'Dea, he wanted to play freshman football. However, his parents forbade it. Instead, he picked up cross country, and continues to run to this day.
However, Lewis has to balance his responsibilities on and off the course. Outside of cross country, he holds the burden of maintaining his high grades and keeping up with his commitments in extracurriculars. Although a few assignments have kept him from attending a couple meets in the past, Lewis always finds time to participate as much as he can.
"Student comes first before the athlete, you have to complete the academics first before the athletics," Lewis said.
Lewis also participates in musical endeavors outside of the season to keep his mind busy. He plays the accordion and drums, and had a significant role in the last O'Dea/Holy Names musical, Spelling Bee.
In addition, Lewis has found success as a free agent for Ultimate Frisbee at West Seattle High School during the summer and winter. Aside from cross country in the spring, this is how he maintains his speed and competetive drive during the off-season.
"There is a lot of strong competition in the area, but last summer I won the youth club [ultimate frisbee] championships in Aurora, Colorado."
Finding balance in a busy schedule can be a difficult task, but Lewis can has learned to find success in the many endeavors of his life.
Even though Lewis doesn't plan to run past high school, the skills he has learned in the last four years will ensure he is able to balance everything else that comes his way in college and beyond.
His next race is on October 5th at Chambers Bay Golf Course!
Photo credits: Will Martin and Mrs. Berta
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