Neuqua Valley senior Isaiah Robinson relishes the ultimate challenge.
“I am really excited to pursue that double,” Robinson said. “I am prepared for that grueling task.”
With the boys outdoor track season on the horizon, Robinson will in all likelihood attempt a two-event sequence as mentally demanding as it is physically taxing: competing in the 400- and 800-meter runs.
The most intractable obstacle is the time element, as the 800-meter relay is the sole event between the two races.
“In my opinion, the (800) would be easier to run first than an all-out 400,” Robinson said.
Robinson has been a mainstay for the Wildcats at the two distances during his decorated career, but the emphasis has been more on the relay components of the two distances.
Robinson was ninth in the 800 in 1 minute, 55.58 seconds at last year’s Class 3A state meet and later ran the lead leg of the Wildcats’ second straight runner-up finish in the 1,600 relay with a 3:16.
The athletic qualities Robinson routinely demonstrate have left his coaches and teammates in awe.
“He has range like none other,” said Jake McEneaney, one of the stalwarts of the Wildcats’ Class 3A cross country state championship team. “You could put him in a fast mile, and he could win it.”
“The thing about Isaiah is he is so versatile,” Neuqua coach Mike Kennedy said. “He can run on a (400 relay) or (800 relay). There aren’t too many kids who can say that.”
The Wildcats will enter the season as prohibitive favorites to win the DuPage Valley Conference title.
Since joining the league for the 2015-16 school year, Neuqua has won both indoor championships and the outdoor title in its three appearances.
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Robinson is a central object of the Wildcats’ strengths: the ability to cover all 18 events with exceptional depth and balance.
“I will have to transition to that mindset,” Robinson said of his mental approach to the expected 800-400 double. “That’s the process I have to prepare for.”
The Wildcats also have designs on securing a trophy at the state finals in Charleston. Robinson plans on playing a starring role.
“He knows how much we’re going to rely on him at the state finals,” McEneaney said. “He’s kind of the key for our team points.”
“I am pretty confident in the speed training we have been doing,” Robinson said of his pre-outdoor regimen.
Robinson won the DVC Indoor Meet in the 400 in 50.65 and partnered with Nicholas Mitchell, Billy Provost and Kai Larson to win the 1,600 relay in 3:28.33.
JaQuere Williams, the DVC indoor champion in the 200, joins Robinson as a returnee on the Wildcats’ 1,600 relay.
Robinson and his fellow sprinters will have the Wildcats’ cross country linchpins to make crucial contributions in the two longest races.
The Wildcats swept both the 1,600 and 3,200 at the indoor conference meet behind McEneaney (4:19.86), Josh Mollway (4:20.39), Jackson Jett (9:23.58) and Zach Kinne (9:28.18).
But Robinson will command significant attention this spring. He hopes to be running for an elite program at the next level.
“I have made official visits to USC, Michigan, Illinois, Nebraska and Iowa,” Robinson said. “I will make my decision before the April signing date.”
Kevin McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.