| Advertisement |
|
|
With an average of 15.3, he's all about speed.
Josh Hilgemann, 17, has been running track for five years and fondly remembers the day he began his life as a 110-meter hurdles runner. “During my seventh-grade year, I ran distance, and one of my friends was in hurdles. He said I couldn't do it, so I tried it and the first game I won,” he said.
Josh, who will be a senior at Aberdeen Central in the fall, described hurdles as a sprint race. “You have to get over the hurdles as fast as you can, and get to the finish line. It involves both running and jumping.”
He placed third in the 110-meter hurdles at the State AA high school track and field championships.
Josh encouraged young track runners to “do your best and don't quit on it.”
During track season, Josh practices everyday after school from 3:30 to 6 p.m. He is steadily training to improve his flexibility, which is a big part of jumping hurdles.
Team USA will have six athletes representing them in the Olympics today. Dawn Harper, Kellie Wells and Lolo Jones made the Women's 100-meter hurdles team and Aries Merritt, Jason Richardson and Jeff Porter will run in the Men's 110-meter hurdles.