Congratulations to Ethan Harper, a freshman from Lincoln High School (Portland), who has been on fire this track season!  Ethan is a hybrid of sorts, having run everything from the 200m to the 3k, with highly respectable times and personal records in each. 

Ethan was one of a handful of freshman racing last weekend in the Oregon Relays, where he participated in two relay events and the 800m Invitational race.  So far this season, Ethan has improved his 400m time by 1.5-seconds over last year, running 53.40.  In the 800m, he has been equally as impressive, running 2:04.88, which is nearly three seconds faster than last year!  His 400m is the fifth fastest freshman time in the state of Oregon, while his 800m time is in the top three for freshman!  He is also in the top-12 of all freshman times in the 1500m in the state of Oregon.  To say Ethan is versatile would be an understatement!

Having worked with Ethan for over two years, I couldn't help but ask him to provide a testimonial of his time with Whisper Running:

"Starting in the middle of seventh grade, I began working out with Dave and immediately discovered that running would be the most important love-hate relationship of my life. Coming out of seventh grade cross-country season, I was best described as an average runner right in the middle of all my races, and someone who absolutely loathed the feeling of running hard. Little did I know that within a few months I would find a passion for this sport and that I would always be looking forward to my next opportunity to compete.  As I started running with Dave, that contempt for running hard diminished, as after workout after workout I felt stronger, faster, and braver than before. Thus, I came out just about every weekend to have my butt kicked and my heart all the stronger for it. When track season finally came around and I found that I had the tools and skills to race well, competing suddenly found a place of love inside of my heart. As we continued to work, Dave built character and a seemingly insatiable urge to get faster in me as my focus always turned to the future and my next opportunity to race. My higher performance in school and my general happiness seemed to coincide directly with the drive for excellence that Dave instilled in me. Now I find myself a better person, who has a strong desire to compete and seek out the best from within, aspects that could not be found with such intensity in the kid who first started working with Dave two years ago."

Major props to you, Ethan Harper, on your outstanding accomplishments so far this season, and I look forward to watching your continued efforts pay dividends!