The phrase “actions speak louder than words” perfectly defines my teammate and training partner, Jimmy Gehret, a senior and the top runner for Bishop Snyder High School in Jacksonville. He has no Instagram, no Twitter, no Facebook, and doesn’t text. When I want to arrange our Sunday long runs, I have to do it the old fashioned way, call him on the phone. It is rare you hear him speak either, unless you are a close friend.
This past spring, at the 2A region 1 track final at the Bolles School in Jacksonville, Jimmy arrived for the 1,600 with a tattered old shoe box under his arm, the same one he always keeps his spikes in, because that’s where he likes to keep them. He warmed up, put his spikes on and got on the track. Jimmy won the race in 4:30.04, outsprinting a strong field of runners.
He never posted a picture on Instagram, nor did he tweet #regionalchamp. Instead, he took his spikes off, stuck his race number on the top of his tattered shoebox, with the rest of his numbers from past races, and the champ headed home.
The spikes he wears are the same pair he has worn since freshman year, because he likes them, and sees no need for a replacement. In addition to winning the regional 1600 championship, he also won one the 1600 district championship in arguably the most difficult 2A district in the state. He finished 5th at the state finals with a 4:27.93. Though a relatively unknown in the high school running scene, He is compiling an impressive running resume.
In 2012, Jimmy was one of the top ranked runners in the 1A freshman class, becoming a district champion, qualifying for states individually, and holding a 5k personal record of 16:57.11. In track he excelled, running a 1600 time of 4:39.72 and coming within seconds of the school record.
“I didn’t really know what I was doing my freshman year, so I just tried to better my times as the weeks went on,” said Jimmy. “I did swim competitively before high school, which I feel prepared me physically for cross country and track.”
Unfortunately, he faltered his sophomore year, due in part to the lack of training over the summer.
“[My poor performance] really had to do with me being lazy,” Jimmy explained. “I also was not able to get the amount of sleep I needed because of school.” He failed to set a personal best in any event he raced and lost his district title to teammate Jonah Wilamowski, currently running for Belmont Abbey College. In track, Jimmy’s fastest 1600 was 4:39, falling far short of state qualification.
Last year, Jimmy turned his outlook around not just due to his humbling sophomore season, but the fact that Snyder was being moved into the 2A division. With great challenges ahead, he began to train longer and harder over the summer.
“Sophomore year made me more aggressive going into junior year,” Jimmy stated. When cross country rolled around, his hard work payed off.
After a few disappointing performances, his luck changed at Alligator Lake Invitational, where he broke the school record by .01 seconds with 16:50.75. Next week he shattered his own record and he continued to do so until the regional meet, where he placed second with a 16:35.00. His season ended on a low note, however, plagued with stomach issues during the race, he finished a disappointing 95th.
Jimmy finished his junior year with Bishop Snyder school records in the 800, 1600, 4x800, distance medley relay, and 5k; nearly all distance events FHSAA has to offer. Heading into senior year, Jimmy has set high goals for himself.
“Time wise, I plan to go sub-16:00 for 5k, under 4:20 for 1600, and sub-1:55 for 800.
Aside from being a great runner, Jimmy is also an Eagle Scout, a National Honors Society member, and is just as interested in a ROTC scholarship as a running one.
When I asked Jimmy to let me write this article, he was incredibly reluctant, not wanting to draw attention to himself. I nearly had to pry his quotes out of him. That is just the kind of person he is. I do not know what the future holds for the Bishop Snyder Cross Country team or their top runner, but Jimmy did get a brand new cardboard box for his spikes this season, so watch out!
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