Athlete of the Week – Iliya Demchenko

This Q + A with AD Lyslo highlights varsity athlete and PC sophomore Iliya Demchenko.

Iliya, first off, congrats on being named Jersey Mike’s Athlete of the Week. It’s been a great cross country season for you and the guys. How are you and the team feeling going into the district meet next week?

I feel a little worried but mostly excited going into districts, especially because this is my first year running cross country, and my whole team is depending on me to run the fastest time and move on to the State Championship, but I believe in my team. Most of them are experienced runners and have run cross country for many years, so I am looking forward to all of my teammates doing their best and beating their personal records. Most of them have run at districts in previous years, so they know how it feels.

You have come out of nowhere as our top runner, which is a credit to you. What kind of training or preparation did you put in this summer, coming into the season?

I have to be honest, I only started running in August to the gym and back almost every day, which is about two miles. I believe my endurance for long distance running is a combination of genetics and overall experience with running, as I mostly ran middle distance for three years in middle school. I also know my mom was a good runner when she was my age, so I guess her stamina was passed down to me, which makes me a naturally good runner.

For you, your times have come way down from last year and really the start of the season. What kind of goals did you set for yourself coming into the year, and are you fulfilling those goals?

I didn’t have any goals coming into this year, I just thought, “why not try something new?” so I joined Cross Country because I had some experience with running. I believe the reason for my major improvement is because of Coach Jannsen and his amazing workout plan for us every day of the week. And because he believed in me and pushed me to do my best in matching my designated pace, I started improving greatly. Later in the season, I set a goal to beat my previous personal record every meet, and I had a nice three to four meet streak of setting a new PR each time. One meet, I beat my record by a whole minute! 

While cross country can be more individual, you have some great seniors on the team this year – how important is it for you guys to send them out with a great season and hopefully a great race next week at districts?

It’s very important to respect our seniors and give them first rights to everything, since this is their last year at PC, and in our Cross Country team in general. They need to be in their best shape and ability to have their record be set in stone for the coming years, and make unforgettable memories while they are still here. I wish all of our seniors- Juliet, Stephanie, Coleson, and Noah – good luck, and I hope they will be satisfied with their performance at district, so that they can look back at this moment, after they graduate and won’t be here anymore.

What’s it going to take to contend for a district championship next week at Rainier?

Everyone needs to be in their best shape and try their absolute hardest to get the highest places possible, because either the top two teams from each district qualify for the state championship or the top fourteen individual runners. I’ve been told that I need to get a seventeen-minute flat, or below, time to be in the top fourteen, which is the only way to move on to state. I will need a lot of preparation, and I need to push myself like never before to beat my PR by a whole minute, and qualify for state. I most importantly trust God, and that he will give me strength and good mental health to run my best, because God is the only one whom I can rely on in such a hard competition, and I give all glory to Him. May my life reflect God’s greatness and His perfect plan for me in my life.

Congrats on your season so far and keep up the good work!