By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
Patrick Warren was an active child, and his mother decided to see how his energy would translate to track and field.
The Montgomery resident has sprinted toward the top of his sport in the nearly 10 years since he first took up track and sprinting.
”I would run around a lot when I was younger,” Warren said. “When I was seven, my mom said I was going to a track practice. I didn’t even know what it was. We had a meet within the team. I signed up for the sprinting events. Everything else seemed too long.”
Warren will compete at the national Junior Olympics in Des Moines, Iowa, in the boys 100 and 200 meters in the 15- and 16-year-old division this week. It’s the second time he has reached nationals. He went to New Orleans for nationals in 2011.
”It feels really good,” Warren said. “I’ve been working really hard in school in the past season and the past year and it feels good to know it’s paying off.”
Warren will be a junior at Montgomery High School, where he was the team’s top sprinter as a sophomore. He was Skyland Conference sophomore champion in the 100 and 200 meters, third-team All-Somerset County in the 100 meters, fifth in the Skyland Conference Championship and fourth in the Somerset County Championships in the 100 and 200.
”I feel really good about it,” Warren said. “I didn’t run my freshman year. So this was me coming in after a year off. I was All-Packet in the 200. It felt good knowing that’s what I’m capable of.”
Warren focused on his academics as a freshman, but came back out for track and field for both the winter and spring seasons at MHS last year.
”This is my first year doing winter track,” Warren said. “I started performing well at the end of the winter season. I think that helped propel me to have the season I did outdoors.”
In addition to his athletic success, Warren was also presented the Montgomery High School Citizenship Award.
”It’s for doing good in school and being a good person,” Warren said. “I try to perform well in school, and I also like helping people out.”
Warren will be representing his town, his school and his state as he heads to Iowa for the first time to compete in nationals.
”It’s definitely a huge feeling of pride,” Warren said. “When people see me and I’m doing well, it’s good to know I’m representing the school and our state well.
”It’s a little bit of pressure too. It’s not too bad. I’ve been there before. I know what to expect. It won’t be too bad.”
Warren still remembers his first trip to the Junior Olympic nationals in New Orleans. He had qualified in the 100 only.
”The first time I went, it was a shocking experience,” Warren said. “It was shocking going in seeing the other sprinters. It was an eye-opening experience knowing there are people faster than me. It’s nice going in knowing I’m one of the faster people in my age group.”
Warren has proven tough to beat this summer. He won the 100 and was fourth in the 200 in the district qualifier held in New Brunswick. That sent him to Lowell, Mass., for the regional qualifier. He ran even better with a second place by a photo finish in the 100 meters and a third in the 200 meters.
”I’ve been pretty happy,” Warren said. “I’ve been really consistent with my times recently. That tells me I’m doing the right things when I’m practicing. I’ve been consistent. I think I have a good chance of moving on to the further round.”
Warren knows that competition will be stiff at nationals. He is hoping that will push him to personal best times and put him in position to contend for a top spot.
”Earlier this spring, I was at an AAU meet and I ran 11.31 for my personal best,” Warren said of the 100. “I’ve been consistent, but haven’t matched that yet. That’s one of my goals to improve on my personal best. And also I want to make it to the semifinals at least.”
Warren has been busy preparing for the nationals. He attended a track and field camp for three days at the University of Pennsylvania that he found to be beneficial.
”I got in a lot of hard work,” he said. “I’ve been working on proper sprint mechanics. They taught me what to do in practice. I’ve been working on running 200s and 400s to work on my stamina. I’ve also been to a couple meets to make sure I’m in good shape.”
Warren has been pushing himself since the high school season ended in order to maintain and improve his sprinting.
”It’s been a lot of self motivation,” Warren said. “I’ve been going to the Upper Middle School every day at 7 o’clock. I train myself.
”I feel really confident going into this last week,” he added. “I need to make sure I keep working hard so I stay in shape for when I go to Iowa.”
The nationals qualifying has helped to motivate him to continue to develop as a sprinter. He is looking forward to his second full year of track and field with MHS and the improvements it can bring.
”I’m going to keep training,” Warren said. “I was going to run cross country this year, but I think it’ll be more important to get in the weight room. I think it’s important to get bigger and faster and be more explosive so I can run faster.”
Warren can get faster by increasing his stamina as well. He will train with more 400-meter races, compete in the 4×400 for MHS and try to lower his times more. He is hoping with continued progress he will have the chance to not only compete in nationals again, but have a future in track and field beyond high school.
”It’s definitely something I want to do,” Warren said. “I really enjoy sprinting. It’s a lot of fun. I want to keep doing it and continue it in college and in the future.”