Over the last week, I have had several opportunities to talk with Evansville Memorial Senior Matthew Schadler. Schadler is coming off an All State Track season in the 1600m, where he was runner up to Gabe Fendel with a 4:13.31. This Fall, he has picked right back up where he left off. He already has a couple of wins in his pocket, and has put up times of 16:06, 15:46, and a 15:36 this past Saturday on the State course at the THSB Invitational.
MileSplit Indiana: You have had an impressive start to your season. How are you feeling with such a hot start?
Matthew Schadler: I'm feeling pretty good heading into September. I've gotten a few good meets under my belt in August and with some bigger meets coming up I'm ready for some faster racing.
MileSplit Indiana: Talk about this past Saturday's 3rd place finish at the State Preview.
Matthew Schadler: Going in I was sick, so I wasn't feeling the best, but I knew I wanted to get with the lead pack. The end result though, I was happy with that, with everything going on. There is still a lot of season left.
MileSplit Indiana: Looking forward to the rest of September, what are some big races on your schedule?
Matthew Schadler: During September we have two meets I'm looking forward to. Eagle Classic is coming up first at Brown County and then the week after we are heading to Louisville for the Trinity invite. Both meets have some really good competition so hopefully I can drop some fast times.
MileSplit Indiana: What are some of your goals for this season?
Matthew Schadler: We have a pretty young team this year so one of the main focuses is to help the team. On a personal level, I want to qualify for a NXN or Footlocker Nationals. I think going to a meet of that caliber would such a cool way to end my senior season.
MileSplit Indiana: You mentioned your team, Talk about them. What are practices like? What do you guys expect for 2017?
Matthew Schadler: Like I mentioned before we have a very young team. I'm the only senior and we have one junior so the leadership is important getting the younger guys familiar with practices. Goals for the team this year are always changing, but every race is a new chance for everyone to go out and get better.
MileSplit Indiana: You had a great Junior year with a 12th place finish in XC and a runner up finish in the 1600m. What were your biggest take aways, and how are you applying them to 2017?
Matthew Schadler: Some of the biggest take aways from last year is knowing that every race you should be racing to win. A lot of guys get to the start line and assume that one guy is better than another or they don't stand a chance. Believing in my abilities was one of the biggest things that I've learned.
MileSplit Indiana: What are some key thoughts you take into every race?
Matthew Schadler: Key thoughts I take into every race is going out and competing to win and every meet is a fresh start.
MileSplit Indiana: Finally, what are some colleges you are looking at? Do you have a short list, or are you still pretty open?
Matthew Schadler: I have a shortlist of schools, I'm taking official visits to West Point, Butler, and Indiana University. Other than that, I'm narrowing down a few other schools to try to get a top 4-5.
You can catch coverage of Schadler's next two meets here on MileSplit Indiana. We will be at the Brown County Eagle Classic this Saturday with race videos and interviews. You can read a meet preview on Thursday. The following week, MileSplit Kentucky will have extensive coverage of the Trinity Invitational, one of the largest regular season meets in the Midwest.
