Running track is no easy sport. And many people would say that they don’t like running. But from the time Brice Tolan ’19 was a freshman, he has excelled in his track career.  He is a born runner.

This year Tolan placed third in his states meet. “It felt great because all season I wanted to qualify for the all state meet and I knew I needed to finish in at least the top seven to make that happen.” Regarding his final race of this season, Tolan says, “I ran a few seconds worse than the previous race but the course was very muddy unlike the previous race, so I was very pleased with my performance.” 

Tolan is a three sport athlete and works hard to reach his limits. He says he is able to keep up and consistently improve because “in the summer, I run on my own to stay conditioned, and in the winter I play basketball, which I think helps my speed rather than my endurance.” Dedication and perseverance pay off.

Tolan did not start running track until his freshman year. Many may find his late start hard to believe, because of how much success Tolan has had.

During freshman year, Tolan says that his main accomplishment was “Qualifying for the state meet as a freshman, because it seemed so farfetched at the beginning of the season since I had no previous running experience.”

Throughout both track and cross country, Tolan has progressed so much. He says that “In my first season of cross country as a sophomore, I ran 19:26 for my first 5k and this year [as a junior] I ran 17:29 for the same distance. In track, I started out my freshman year running 12:14 in the two mile, and my personal best last season was 10:37.”

Some areas he still tends to struggle with is “long runs in practice because it is hard for me  to run for such long periods without stopping.”  But despite any obstacles in his way, he still manages to get incredible times. 

Tolan says that “In cross country, I only run the 5k, but in track, I’ll run anything from the 400m to the two mile” which enables him to fill in for runners if they are unable to attend the meet. He is able to adapt to all the races with no problems, making him a versatile athlete. 

The boys track coach at Abington High School is Brian Lanner, who has been a part of the program for 13 years. Coach Lanner is not only the track coach, but the cross country coach. Therefore, Lanner coaches both of Tolan’s running sports.

Coach Lanner feels that track is a very unique sport, and he also believes that “ there is something for everyone in track.” Tolan also enjoys being part of the high school track team, saying it is  “unlike any other team because there are no issues of playing time as everyone is involved and is supporting each other.”

Other than Tolan, another athlete that stands out to Coach Lanner would be Xavier Curney ’18. Curney competes in the hurdles and discus. He holds the record for the 400 meter hurdles. Both Curney and Tolan have been recognized as South Shore League All Stars and All Scholastics as well.