College Athlete of the Week: Kyle Larson

Kyle Larson

Year: Senior

School: Western Oregon

Sport: Track

Hometown: Lake Stevens (Lake Stevens H.S.)

What he did: Led off WOU's winning foursome in the distance-medley relay event at the University of Washington Indoor Open over the weekend. Larson, who ran the 1,200-meter leg of the event, led off a foursome that ran the event in 10:11.65.

What's next: The Great Northwest Athletic Conference indoor championships are this weekend in Nampa, Idaho.

Two Minute Drill

Can you start by telling us a little about the distance medley relay, an event many of our readers don't know well.

It's a relay, and it's the 1,200 (meters), the 400, 800 and 1,600. What's cool about it is it takes the middle distance runners and throws a sprinter in there with them, which is fun. The cool thing about my event, the 1,200, is it's an event you never run. It's probably my best event, but the only chance I get to compete is in the (medley) relay.

I assume you were an 800 and 1,600 runner at Lake Stevens High School, and that's how you got into the 1,200?

It's the 1,500 in college, the mile. Last year, my coach just decided to put me in the 1,200. I was second on the team in the mile.

What is it about the event that works to your style?

I like to think I've got a pretty good (finishing) kick. I like to think I'm pretty tough as well, and it takes both. Obviously, you need a lot of speed and strength for the mile, but you need a little more speed for the 1,200. It's a pretty difficult race. I'd like to think I'm a pretty tough kid, and hopefully that's where I get it from.

And you were part of the winning team at the Dempsey Indoor Relays over the weekend. What did it mean to win that?

Uh, we ran against three other teams: Concordia, Portland State and (Simon Fraser). We kind of ran away with it, even though we didn't have one of our better times. There wasn't really any competition. Two weeks ago, at the UW Open, UW and Long Beach State and Seattle U. competed, and UW really ran away with it. We didn't get invited to the finals of that race. We haven't had a good enough DMR. The Huskies are really good; they're trying to have a national automatic time. Joey Bywater, who I went to high school with, he runs it. He's trying to run a four-minute mile.

That's pretty impressive. Were you and Joey Bywater friends in high school, and did you compete?

We're still good friends today. Joey was the top guy in the state back then, and now he's trying to be at the top of the nation. It's pretty cool.

Have you ever raced him?

I would've liked to, but I haven't run a fast enough time to get into a race with him. It's too bad. He was going for four minutes in the mile last weekend, and he went 4:01.2. I think he's going to go for a four-minute mile here pretty soon.

I hear two of your brothers are on the Western Oregon track team. What's that like?

Oh, it's pretty cool. Scott just came down here this term. I've been on the team four years, and Drew just got on the team as well. They're identical twins. It's cool having them at practice, but it hasn't been that long. I've never let Drew beat me in a workout, that's for sure.

Does that go back to your days in high school?

Oh, yeah. There's that sibling rivalry. I've never let him beat me.

You have three brothers -- the oldest, Chad, is two years older than you, while the twins are two years behind you in school. Your poor mother, with four boys that close in age.

(Laughs) Oh, yeah.

Has she ever told you any funny stories about those early years, with two young boys and newborn twins?

Not really. They switched classes in pre-school. They actually switched their clothes and stuff.

Did it work out that you and your older brother ganged up on the twins?

Yeah. I'm the middle child, so I would get it from both sides. A couple of times the twins would gang up on me, and Chad would come to the rescue. He was a marine, so he's a pretty tough guy.

Who's the fastest in the family?

Oh, I am. Definitely, I am. But Scott and Drew were faster than me in high school. I wasn't that good in high school. I ran a 4:33 in the 1,600, and then last year, I ran a 4:10 in the mile. So that shows you how much I've improved.

How does a guy get that much faster?

It has something to do with getting the right coaching. And obviously, I've grown into my body.

I see you want to be a Spanish teacher as well as a pastor. Why did you choose that combination?

Oh, that. They don't really fix the bios here at Western Oregon. Eventually, I want to be a pastor. But things have changed. I was a Spanish major. Now I've added an English linguistics major. I want to teach English abroad, then come back here and teach ESL (English as a Second Language) in a U.S. school.

Where would you go abroad?

I want to try to go to Spain next year.

Why Spain?

I think it would be a lot of fun. And I really need to go somewhere to perfect my Spanish.

I hear Ricky Rubio's apartment is available.

Who?

He's an NBA player … ah, forget it. So do you want to travel a lot?

I want to come back to the United States and get a graduate degree, probably at UW. Then after that, maybe I'd like to go to back to Spain, see if I can get on a (running) club team there. I think I have lot of improvement in me.

So you're not just trying to get as far away from the twins as possible?

No, no, no.

It sounds like you guys actually have a pretty good relationship.

Yeah. I live with one of them.

Which one?

Drew lives with me.

Now that you're roommates, do the two of you team up on the other twin?

No, they still team up on me. (Laughs)

And you haven't got a Marine around to help you now.

No marine to help me, no.