Before spring sports started, senior Jack Carda committed to run college track. Carda is one of the best athletes in Mount Michael track and field team. During the 2024 season, he had the highest score for the team, and he qualified for state in 800m by winning a district championship. This year, his goal is not only to beat his personal record. He is also determined to break the school record and to compete with the Class B giants in 800m.
After state cross country, Carda knew that he would have one last track and field season for his high school career. Rather than taking a long break, he had a training plan for himself that lasted for the whole winter. No matter how cold the weather was, Carda always showed up on track punctually every day after school. Because of the hard work he put in, his speed and endurance ability improved impressively. So, he would always be ready when the chance came. During the time trial this year, his performance surprised everyone. The time of 1:54.7 made him the fastest 800m runner in Mount Michael’s all-time history. “It got me very excited for the season and gave me extra hope for my own personal goals,” Carda said. Even though it did not count as a meet record, it still amazed coaches and teammates.
During the competition of the State 800m last year, something got into his head after leading the first lap. “I wasn’t hurting bad enough to quit, I wasn’t injured, but something made me slow down,” Carda said. After the race, he promised himself that kind of situation would never happen to himself again. So, he worked harder and harder, and he started to put trust in God. The change in his mentality made him get into a better state of racing. After breaking the record and leaving his mark in Mount Michael history this year, he was ready for the second goal, competing with the Class B stars of the 800m, specifically Braden Lofquest and Tommy Rice, the two top runners in the Class B division. “I truly don’t know if I’ll be able to race with them, but that is not going to stop me from trying my best,” Carda said.
Before finishing his high school career, Carda made his future plan for running. To see how he would be capable of, he planned on running track in the University of Dubuque. Carda will be continuing the 800m in college, which has always been his favorite race. Carda enjoyed the challenge, which made him interested in it. “It’s a hard race to strategize, to race, and sometimes even to think about. There are a lot of components to the race that need to all come together at once to have a successful race,” Carda said. The 800m not only made him a better athlete, but also made him a better person.
“My four-year experience brought to me a completely new perspective of work ethic, and racing. I learned that if you truly want to be the best, you need to train like the best,” Carda said. Carda’s story of track set a great example for future knights, and the effort and determination he had made him the best.
