Doing what he has to do
BUTLER TWP — Do what you gotta do.
For WPIAL cross country champion CJ Singleton, that's more than a phrase.
It's a way of life for the Butler High School junior.
“There aren't very many (indoor track and field) events going on right now,” Singleton said. “I go on the Internet all the time, looking for stuff, looking for somewhere to run.”
He found one — in Virginia Beach.
Singleton competed in the Virginia Beach Club Opener — an indoor track meet celebrating the opening of the $68 million facility — earlier this month.
He wound up winning the 3,200-meter run, topping a field of 57 runners — representing 29 schools — with a time of 9 minutes, 18.39 seconds. That mark shattered the previous Butler indoor record of 9:35.88 — set by Singleton himself earlier this year.
Tim Patterson set the school indoor mark at 9:42.25 in the winter of 2020 before Singleton broke it. Chris Grooms had the previous record of 10:10.05, set back in 2010.
“To run a time like that at this time of year is unheard of,” Butler boys track coach Mike Seybert said. “That's a time turned in by a really good runner in late spring.”
Then again, being “really good” isn't on Singleton's agenda.
“He wants to be great. That's all there is to it,” Seybert said.
Runners from five states competed in the Virginia Beach event, which was run on a 200-meter hydraulically-banked track. Singleton beat out runner-up Arnay Tikhe of Oakton (Va.) by just under five seconds.
To observe Virginia's COVID-19 protocol of no more than 250 people at an indoor event at one time, competitors and spectators of each respective event were ushered into the facility 20 minutes before its scheduled time, then asked to leave the facility upon the event's completion.
The unique set-up didn't bother Singleton at all.
“It was early December (Dec. 4) and the weather outside was mild enough that I could warm up outside of the building,” Singleton said.
“I was a little surprised I ran that time. I mean, I had that time targeted for later, but I guess I'm a couple of months ahead of schedule. That's a good thing.”
Seybert emphasized that Singleton has yet to lose a race this season. Even at the PIAA Cross Country Championships — where he finished sixth — he won his respective heat.
“Had CJ run in the same heat as the (state) champion, he might have very well won the thing. We'll never know,” Seybert said. “But he's that type of competitor.”
Singleton's goal this year is to win the Pa. indoor 3,000-meter championship. He also hopes to break the nine-minute mark by late in the outdoor season.
Butler's indoor track team got a week of practice in before Gov. Tom Wolf's temporary winter sports shutdown halted things. Singleton plays on the Golden Tornado boys basketball team as well.
Before the shutdown, Singleton got his running workout in either immediately after school — before basketball practice — or in the early evening after practice, maybe even in the morning before school.
With classes being taught virtually these days, he gets his running in during study hall.
“My study hall is scheduled around lunch, so there's a nice break in time there,” Singleton said. “I have plenty of time to go out, run, come back in before my next class.”
“CJ sets lofty goals and goes after them,” Seybert said. “He has that combination of ability and competitive drive. He's a straight-A kid, too. He goes after it all and that's been fun to watch.”
