Albert Velikonja's Senior Salute


Here is your chance to be featured in a stand-alone article on MileStat. Answer these questions as fully as you can in anywhere from 2-4 sentences and send three pictures of you competing to Njez@MileSplit.com. If you also want us to tag your twitter in the article send along your handle as well.


Here is State Champion Albert Velikonja's answers:

Questions 1: What was your greatest moment while competing in high school?

My best moment while competing in high school has to be my State Championship win in the 1600 in 2019. Everything lined up perfectly on the day and it was a race that really showed people around the area what I am capable of.


Question 2: What is your biggest regret (related to T&F in high school) or what would you have done differently and why?

A pretty nice segway, my biggest regret as a high school runner was how complacent I became after winning that state title, and the unrealistic expectations I had set for myself when it came to my senior year goals. Everybody says they're good enough to make Footlocker, but I lacked the humility to take the necessary steps to get there.


Question 3: What will you miss the most about HS T&F/XC?

I'll easily miss the camaraderie the most. Becoming a good runner often leads to becoming a great person, and the joy that comes from not only seeing my own improvements, but the improvements of some of my best friends, is indescribable. Running is a very mentally challenging sport, and seeing a lot of my friends come out the other side of negative experiences is incredibly inspiring. I've always loved a redemption story, and I've seen a few.


Question 4: What is some advice from incoming frosh and rising seniors on your high school team that you would like to share with them?

A crucial piece of advice is to never get complacent. After every accomplishment/ new PR, especially during this "quarantine period", my first thought is always, "what's next?" rather than me telling myself how good I am. Always remember that there is somebody out there better than you, but always believe that if you put the time in, you can get there as well.


Question 5: What was the hardest workout you did your entire high school career? Did you like it or did you dread it?

I've always loved challenging myself in workouts, and my coach has put me through the wringer recently which has led to some PR's that I'm really excited about. This technically isn't during high school, but a couple weeks ago after I ran 4:13 in a TT, my coach gave me about 10 minutes then made me run a 400-300-200, where I split 58-41-27. Nothing too glamorous, but it was intense.


Question 6: How did you make track/XC a very individual sport into more of a team sport?

I've alluded to the camaraderie that can come from competing, but running can often be a lonely endeavor. I've always been at my best when I have people around me that want to see me do well, and I have understood the importance of giving that back in return. Going on humid runs with teammates, biking next to somebody during a long run, watching and supporting others as they try to race to new PR's, and a general demonstration of care towards someone else's success is the best way, in my opinion, to create a good team around you. My best days come when I'm surrounded by people who have seen my journey, and I'll never say that my own triumphs are solely because of me.


Question 7: Finally, what are your college plans? Will you be competing in college, where? What do you plan on studying? What do you have as career plans?

As of now I have not committed to a college, but the plan has always been to take a gap year. I have been talking to a few schools, but I'm very much on a clean slate in terms of my search. I've always seen the 2019-2020 season as my "Junior Year", with my main focus being to improve myself and run faster, and although I'm really happy with the improvements I've made, having run 1:54 and 4:13 during this time, I'm not done.