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06/23/2016 12:00 AMLukas O’Callahan had to travel a long road to get back to the track, but in the true fashion of a long-distance runner, he took it all in stride and ultimately paced his way to the postseason.
Lukas, who recently graduated from Guilford High School, started his career as an Indians’ athlete with cross country as a sophomore and then joined both the indoor and outdoor track squads later that year. After helping the cross country team win the Class MM state championship last fall, Lukas was forced to miss his final indoor track campaign due to shin splints. However, Lukas worked diligently during the offseason to get healthy for the spring slate and wound up qualifying for states in the 3,200—finishing in 11th place with a time of 10:17.71.
“The shin splints injury was certainly demoralizing for me, but I did everything I could to get ready for the spring year. It involved a lot of boring and lonely days running in the snow, but it paid off,” says Lukas, who was a senior captain for the Indians this spring. “[Guilford Assistant] Coach George Cooksey always kept saying how that, at this point, it comes down to a mental game after so much preparation. Making states in the 3,200 was my way of repaying the team after three great years.”
Lukas had the perfect environment to thrive in while working alongside some equally dedicated distance runners on the Indians. Lukas says that he really enjoys the grind of the running lifestyle.
“The distance guys on our team practice year-round, with the exception of three weeks. It goes beyond the sport because we are a close-knit family of like-minded guys that push each other to be the best,” Lukas says. “When you commit to distance running, you commit more than just to the race. You commit to the long haul with those who will push as hard as you. Everyone is putting in that extraordinary work ethic and I just love that dedication and mental toughness.”
Lukas also saw the same passion among Guilford’s underclass athletes and that really ignited his fire as one of the team’s captains.
“The distance captains, Ben Siciliano and I, along with the sprint captain Sam Sessions, know each other well, but it’s really great to see the new sprinters get out there and ready for us to push them,” says Lukas. “They stepped up to the plate, which is great to see. The underclassmen have taken it seriously and put in the work.”
Guilford’s boys’ outdoor track Head Coach Chris Skaggs feels sad to see Lukas go, although he shares some nice parting sentiments regarding Lukas’s talent and leadership skills.
“Lukas was one of our captains this year. He was voted in by the underclassman because of his leadership and outstanding work ethic. He is quickly identified as the teammate who will push you the hardest in workouts. He sets an example of what a model captain looks like. He was an athlete that defined this team and will be hard to replace,” says Skaggs. “He is a great example of heart and determination for our underclassmen. He fought to come back at the end of the outdoor season and his efforts were rewarded with some great achievements for our distance squad. It is hard not to notice the level of commitment and dedication he brought to the sport.”
In terms of what he’ll take away from his experience as a Guilford athlete, Lukas doesn’t emphasize the state title or any personal-best times. Instead, what Lukas appreciates most are the lessons he learned about the importance of perspective and persistence.
“Distance running was the central part of the change for me in high school. I’ve gone through things that were stressful, but it’s not as big a hurdle now, because I’m used to pushing myself daily with running,” says Lukas, who thanks Guilford’s parents, along with all of his cross country and track coaches throughout high school. “Running helped me put my best foot forward. I liked being a captain and leading people and I was inspired by the people I led.”