Lengthy distance operating will not be one thing everybody enjoys. For Christian Patzka, long-distance operating is his ardour.
“What motivates me probably the most is seeing how far I can go, how briskly I can get and push myself,” Patzka mentioned.
The UW-Whitewater runner went additional than ever earlier than to cap off the indoor monitor season by successful the 5,000-meter nationwide title. Not solely did he end first, however he additionally broke the document.
Patzka clocked a time of 13 minutes, 47.01 seconds to set a brand new Division III document by breaking the earlier document that had stood for 29 years by six seconds.
“I'm most happy with how I raced within the 5K,” Patzka mentioned. “I raced in a means the place, I'd say within the final kilometer or so, I put the hammer down, and if anyone was going to experience with me … be happy to do it. It was a take-no-prisoners form of motion.'
Patzka mentioned he pushed the tempo each mile of the race and was happy with it as a result of, “I knew nobody may sustain.”
This nationwide title is only one of many accolades the sophomore runner has earned in his first two years of operating in faculty. With many All-American performances in monitor and discipline and cross nation, Patzka has lots to be grateful for. However most significantly, he’s grateful to his coaches and those that gave him the chance to compete at such a excessive degree.
Patzka is among the few distance runners to emerge from Whitewater as a nationwide competitor. Their success has begun to deliver the Warhawk identify onto the nationwide stage for distance occasions, which was not the case simply a short while in the past.
The brand new variety of nationals within the distance occasions meant that distance and center distance coach Jeff Miller needed to alter the coaching classes to accommodate so many high quality lengthy distance runners.
“He has us do these new exercises to push us,” Patzka mentioned. “He's by no means had three athletes on a crew that frequently go to nationals and frequently place within the prime 9 or one thing.” It's simply one other approach to transfer us ahead in that means, as a result of it's a superb drawback, he's by no means needed to cope with it particularly.”
One of many secrets and techniques to their success is so simple as it will get: A fantastic crew ambiance that encourages everybody to push their limits and obtain their targets whereas being relaxed sufficient to snicker at themselves.
This atmosphere has fostered extra progress than most environments. Patzka says his 5K time has dropped a couple of minute and a half over the previous two years. This progress is a part of what motivates Patzka to maintain bettering.
“It actually motivates me to see how far I can go in Whitewater. It's only a nice feeling to have that a lot progress and see how far I can go in these 4 years and how briskly I can go,” Patzka mentioned.
With the monitor and discipline crew now transferring from the indoor season to the outside season, Patzka has his eyes set on one other state championship, this time in an occasion that narrowly missed out on a title final 12 months.
“I undoubtedly need that nationwide title within the steeplechase as a result of final 12 months I used to be second and I ended up being outbid, I misplaced by some extent by three seconds. So I undoubtedly need that title too,” mentioned Patzka. “I hope you break the steeplechase nationwide document, that's my massive purpose.
As for the remainder of the crew, Patzka hopes that extra will carry out effectively on the WIAC meet and that extra Warhawks will earn the correct to compete on the Nationwide Out of doors Meet in Rochester, New York.
“I do know we’ve a really younger group of runners on this crew, there’s a number of potential for all of them on the market subsequent season and transferring ahead. I’m very excited to see what we will do with the gap crew,” mentioned Patzka.
Patzka has racked up a number of {hardware} in his profession to this point, however all these medals haven't dampened his want for himself and his teammates to win on the nationwide degree.