WOOD RIVER - East Alton-Wood River High School senior track person Kirk Lane is one of those who always gives 110 percent, his head boys coach Russ Colona said.
Kirk is a Midwest Members Credit Union Male Athlete of the Month for the Oilers.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
Lane said his parents have provided continual support and encouragement even before he was wanting to be a track and field person and then it continued as he became competitive.
Lane recorded a 24.91 time in the 200 meters in 2023 and a 54.37 in the 400 meters and he has high expectations for this outdoor season. He is also a key member of the 4x100 and 4 x 200 Oilers relay teams. He also sometimes participates on the 4 x 400 relay, so he is very versatile. Lane will be visible at the East Alton-Wood River Invitational Meet on Saturday, April 6, 2024, at the EAWR High Track.
"I have been a track and field athlete for seven years now and what I most like about it is how friendly everyone is compared to the other sports. From an outside view it looks like everyone battling to beat each other in races, but in reality we’re all just pushing each other to get a better Personal Record. Winning is just a plus because we all know how hard it was to get to where we are, and we give all of us credit and confidence before our races."
Kirk said he has built computers in his spare time, and he loves to go airsofting with his dad at Bing Field.
"I’m a part of the school’s E-sports team, and I was also the Drum Major of our Oiler Pride Band during our football season," he said.
Lane said being involved in track and field really showed him that you can take whatever opportunities you want or that are given to you and with enough practice you can get up to the big leagues, and take any information you can from your coaches and teammates.
"Mike Tyson didn't get to be the biggest, baddest person out there by himself!" the track star said.
Lane plans to also be a member of the Principia College Track and Field team. He is interested in the computer science major because of his fascination with tearing things apart and tinkering to see what makes what work, exactly how and why.
He has reached High Honor roll and Honor roll countless times, not to mention the school’s special Renaissance Assembly Awards handed out to kids every semester based off their GPA.
Lane also spoke of the reasons why he loves track and field so much now: "It really doesn’t matter where or what you come from, what does matter is how much effort you’re willing to go. I’ve seen people talk so highly of themselves coming out of eighth grade into freshmen but amount to nothing good because they lost so much potential because they didn’t care to do anything over the summer.
"The only way to get better results is if you put the effort into it, if you push yourself every day for practices. A bunch of people ask me out of all the sports I could’ve picked, why track and field? Why do you want to stay at a football field for 4 to 5 hours just to run for a couple of minutes? I tell them that it’s not really about the racing, most sports you become so self-centered in completing a trick or a skill that you do not think about your team, you focus on only you, but at Track & Field, it really shows that you are a team, ranging from the relay races to the bus rides home.
"It is a sport for everyone to come together and just have fun and best each other at something so simple but yet so hard to master. When you are squished up against other racers wanting the same thing that you want, it is just that you want it more than the others, staying neck and neck, pushing yourself harder and harder. You go faster than you thought you could ever go, feeling that cool air hit you, slamming your feet into the rubber track, your mind is as calm as a traffic jam on a highway, the only word that's coherent is 'Go.'"
Again, congrats to Kirk Lane on his recognition as a Midwest Members Credit Union Male Athlete of the Month for East Alton-Wood River.
More like this:
Related Video:
