More state gold on the mind for Holcomb’s Armstrong
Isaiah Armstrong will be a tough out in the 200 and 400 in 3A track
Isaiah Armstrong has one state championship under his belt and will be looking for more gold at the state meet later this month. Left photo by Carrie Towns Photography, right photo by Everett Royer, KSportsImages.com
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► “It was kind of cool to break it and to talk to him at the meet after I broke it,” Armstrong said. ► Armstrong is a three-sport athlete. In the fall he runs cross country and in the winter he plays basketball. ► He says track is his favorite and it’s the sport he wants to pursue at the next level. |
Many sports claim to be a game of inches, but Holcomb junior Isaiah Armstrong knows just how true that is in track.
Armstrong is a state champion, albeit by .03 second. Along with three senior teammates, Armstrong won a state championship in the 4X100 meter relay with a time of 43.03, edging out the Parsons team that finished with a time 43.06.
It was Amrstrong who ran the last leg of the event. It was a moment that will stick with him for a long time.
“My favorite moment was winning a state championship in the 4X1,” Armstrong said. “It was pretty memorable.”
Although Armstrong is the only member from last year’s 4X100 team, he is the leader of a 4X100 and a 4X400 team that is expected to contend at state.
But it’s the 400 where Armstrong truly excels. After taking second at state last year, a gold medal is the goal this year.
“I know there are many other guys that have the same goal in mind, so I plan on running as best as I can and leave it all out on the track,” Armstrong said.
Armstrong owns the school record in the 400 with a time of 49.05. He is also the recent owner of the school record in the 200 which he initially broke on April 30 in Garden City with a time of 22.25.
A few days later in Colby, Armstrong ran a 22.22 200 to break his own record.
The record might want to be written in pencil, because Armstrong still believes he could have done better.
“I felt like it was my best run so far, but I could’ve gotten out of the blocks faster,” Armstrong said. “Breaking the school record was pretty cool, I was pretty happy about it and was happy with my time.”
Armstrong has been running the 400 since his freshman season, but the 200 and 100 are relatively new to him. He’s picked it up quickly and even has aspirations of competing for a state championship in the 200.
“I plan on running the 200 at regional, and my goal is to place at least top 3 at the state meet in that event,” Armstrong said.
Armstrong was a major reason why Holcomb finished fourth in 4A last year, but he wasn’t the only standout on the team.
Devin Mader was a member of the 4X100 team that won gold. He finished third in the 100 and fifth in the 200. In fact, it was Mader’s time in the 200 that Armstrong broke.
“It was kind of cool to break it and to talk to him at the meet after I broke it,” Armstrong said.
Armstrong is a three-sport athlete. In the fall he runs cross country and in the winter he plays basketball.
He says track is his favorite and it’s the sport he wants to pursue at the next level.
“I plan on running in college and would love to,” Armstrong said. “Currently, I do not have a particular school in mind.”
For now, Armstrong will focus on his junior year of high school. League, regionals and state are all on the horizon for Armstrong.