Kolor a runner for all seasons
JACKSON TWP — It's already been a very productive senior year for Seneca Valley's Mike Kolor.
Chances are he will find a way to go out in style this spring.
Kolor qualified individually for the state championship meet in cross country last fall, placing eighth overall and helping the Raiders finish 11th as a team.
He followed that up with a berth in the state meet for indoor track in February, earning third place in the 800 (1:53.13) and teaming with Seth Ketler, Parker Laughlin and Alex Dixon to finish fourth in the distance medley relay (10:32). Both efforts set new standards at Seneca Valley.
He is now prepping for the outdoor track season, hoping to improve on his own school records in the 800 (1 minute, 54 seconds) and 1,600-meter runs (4:11.21).
“There's never a day when I have to question how much he wants it,” said SV distance coach Justin Dosch of Kolor. “He wants to win as badly as anyone I've ever seen.”
The Raiders open the season with a home meet against Morgantown High School on Wednesday.
“This early in the season, we're just looking to get some good training in and win our dual meets,” Kolor said. “We have a big meet against North Allegheny (April 5). That's always a good barometer.”
Kolor made the PIAA Class AAA Track and Field Championships the last two years. His best individual finish there came last spring when he placed fourth in the 1,600 run with a time of 4:13.48.
“He is as good as anybody in the WPIAL, and possibly beyond,” Dosch said. “He works extremely hard.”
Picking up track in seventh grade, Kolor added indoor to his schedule his freshman year. Aside from organized team workouts, he puts in a lot of practice time on his own.
“I like to run the trails at North Park. When the weather is bad, I run at the gym,” he said. “This time of the year, I run between 40-50 miles per week.”
One of the top students in his class, Kolor will soon be taking on much more responsibility in both academics and athletics. He committed last fall to run both cross country and track at Harvard University.
“I know it will be a huge change in college,” he said. “There will be a lot of good competition.”
But competitive running is something Kolor isn't ready to give up.
“You get out of it what you put into it,” he said. “It's one of the most difficult things I've ever done, but also one of the most rewarding.”
Following are the returning Butler County area boys track and field athletes who qualified for the state championship meet last year. Included with each participant are his current class and the events he competed in at the PIAA event.Butler: seniors Connor Frost and Tim Vernick (4x400 relay); sophomore Noah Beveridge (4x800 relay)Seneca Valley: senior Mike Kolor (800 and 1,600 run)Knoch: senior Brennan McTighe and junior Jordan Geist (shot put and discus)Freeport: seniors Dylan Hochbein and Brandon Hochbein (300 hurdles); junior Robbie Reichenbaugh (800 run)Karns City: seniors Conrad Snyder (800 run) and Collin Dunmyre (4x400 relay); junior Chandler Turner (triple jump, 4x400 relay)Union: seniors Dugan Gallagher (400 run and 4x100 relay), Cole Morris and Drew Marsh (4x100 relay)Slippery Rock: senior Gunner Coleman (4x800 relay)
