GENEVA – Simon Heys is ready for the outdoor track and field season to begin.
“Confidence,” he said. “One of my things is if I race with my confidence … I feel like I’m labeled as one of the best (runners) in Southwest Ohio.”
On Saturday at the Division I Ohio Indoor Track and Field Championship meet at the Spire Institute, Heys was fourth overall in the 3,200-meter run with a personal best time of 9:26.66.
Heys was 20th in the OHSAA Cross Country Championship meet this past fall.
“My goal for outdoor (track) was to break 9:30,” he said. “I’ve already done that so I set knew achievable goals.”
Running on a 300-meter track at Spire, Heys said the longer straightaways make for a different race strategy.
“It takes a little bit to get used … it’s 10 2/3 laps instead of 16 laps,” he said.
Heys didn’t run on the 300-meter track until this season, competing at Spire earlier in February then on a 291-meter track at the University of Kentucky most recently.
“It’s harder with your splits (times),” said Heys. “You have to know where you’re at in the race.”
Heys said his best time for an indoor 3,200 was 9:43 so the goal was to break that at the indoor state.
“9:35 would be a good race, 9:30 would be amazing,” said Heys. “(On Saturday) I stuck with the chase pack. I know I can run with those guys and … 9:26 was just unbelievable.”
