This past weekend, both the Nike and New Balance Indoor Nationals were held. Nike Nationals were held at the Armory Track in New York City, while New Balance Nationals were held at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Boston, Massachusetts. These two meets take place at the very end of the indoor season, when the best high school athletes compete against each other. Danbury athletes from both the girls and boys indoor track teams traveled to compete at the highest level. 

One group of boys that had an exceptional performance was the boys 4xmile team, which placed 6th on Saturday morning at Nike Indoor Nationals. The team consisted of two seniors, Elias Alvarado and Chris Bishop, along with two juniors, Kyle Jeffers and Michael Komisky. The boys finished with an outstanding time of 17:52.77. Their 6th- place finish secured them an All-American title. While the boys ran as one on Saturday, they all had their individual stories that have gotten them to the big stage.

The first leg of the relay was junior Kyle Jeffers. At the end of his freshman year, Jeffers hung up his basketball shoes to lace up his spikes because he “loved the connections [he] had made throughout [his] track season, which led [him] to pursue track as [his] main sport.” Before stepping on the line, Kyle had a successful season behind him, which Jeffers admits “gave [him] a lot of confidence going into that race… and ready to meet the demands of the race.” One of the personal medals that Kyle wore around his neck this season prior to stepping on the line was his top 15 placement in New England in the 1k. Jeffers hopes to repeat history in the outdoor season by  “being All-American at outdoor nationals and then hopefully talking to some colleges about potentially running collegiately.”

The baton was passed to senior Elias Alvarado, who was the second leg of the relay. During this season, Elias has been immensely successful alongside the teams Alvarado says, “The season was great. We were FCIAC champs, Class LL runner-ups, and we were third in the state opens.” For Elias, his work ethic and motivation for the sport go far beyond himself; his motivation is “to be a role model for others.” However, this is only the start. Elias plans to further his athletic and academic career at a D1 college. 

The third-leg runner was Michael Komisky, who is also a junior but has been running since his freshman year. Komisky admits that his “season wasn’t the best and was a little disappointing,” but despite all of that, he “kept a positive outlook for [the] nationals,” which paid off. Komisky love for the sport comes from its true competitiveness; in the midst of everything going on, “there’s nothing up for interpretation; you just run,” Komisky says. In the future, Komisky “would love to break some school records and place highly at the state and regional level.”

Senior Chris Bishop anchored the team, securing their title. Bishop had a unique introduction to Track, following in the footsteps of his older brother after admitting to struggling in school. Due to the pandemic, he unfortunately lost most of his freshman year; however, in his sophomore year, he “fell in love instantly; the team aspect [pushed him] to be good like and for [his] teammates.” Bishop draws motivation and finds satisfaction: “Seeing [his] accomplishments and seeing that [he] works hard for something and seeing it pay off is really satisfying to see.” Still on a high from winning his title, Bishop is “looking at some school records, looking at All-Americans for outdoor as well,” and more importantly, looking at institutions like Marist College and Central Connecticut State University to further his athletic and academic career. 

Despite the differences in motivation and stories between athletes, when they step on the line, they all come together for one cause. Together, the team continues to pull forward into the outdoor season that starts on March 16th, hungry for more titles.