CHAPIN – Heath Lorick’s dream is pretty simple -- run cross country for a college team. It’s what motivates him.
"I want to run in college and right now I would love to go to UNC Greensboro and run for them," the Chapin High senior said this week.
Heath moved a step closer to fulfilling that dream, setting a personal record of 16:05.06 in finishing first in the boys varsity 5K run at the Lake Murray Invitational at Crooked Creek Park in Chapin. He finished a little over a second ahead of Wade Hampton’s Logan George, who placed runner-up in the event with a personal record of 16:06.32.
Video interview with Lorick after Lake Murray win
That performance earned Lorick Runner of the Week honors from scrunners.com, presented by Go-Green Timing and On On Tri.
"It's an honor to be named Runner of the Week by scrunners.com," Heath said after learning that he had won the award.
"I just want to thank all my teammates, family and coaches," he said.
Lorick is coached by Jack LeGrand. LeGrand has taught Heath since he was in seventh grade and he is familiar with the Lorick family’s track and field history.
"His older brother ran cross country and his sister was a hurdler in track," LeGrand said. "Heath has improved every year and works hard during the summer and between cross and track."
LeGrand said Heath has provided leadership this year on a team that lost several runners to graduation.
"We were essentially starting over as a team with only our number one runner, Heath, returning," LeGrand said. "He is very team oriented and this group has far exceeded many expectations as they continue to get better.
"The positive modeling that Heath provides has been a large contributor to (the team’s) progress," LeGrand said.
Heath said he leans on a quote from a running book on those days when he needs a little extra motivation.
"I read a book once that talked about how running was a lot like life. It said ‘You all start at the same place and you all end at the same place, but what you do in between is up to you.’ I think that’s why I enjoy running so much because I know that If I want to get better it’s on me."
His immediate personal goal is to win state at the end of this season and then live his college dream.
