HEAD OF THE CLASS
Ranking amongst the top 25 high school athletes in the Central Texas area for the 100 meters and the long jump, Lache (pronounced L-A-K-E) Seastrunk — dubbed “The Great Lache” on the cover of the March edition of Jump Texas — is an up-and-coming track star. A three-sport letterman at Travis Middle School in Temple, where, this year, he dazzled Mustang fans with lightning speed in football; high-flying dunks in basketball and a combination of quickness, endurance and “ups” in track and field, Seastrunk, 13, made a lasting impression on the junior high athletics circuit and record books.Jump Texas: How do you feel about Lache’s performance at the Central Texas track and field district meet?
Coach Butch Olsen: Well, I’ve been coaching Lache since football [season ’05]. Knew he had a lot of talent and in track season we had to get Lache convinced … to trust his [long jump] mark instead of trying to guess…. Last year, he had a hard time hitting his mark. This year, we concentrated on getting his steps down so he could hit the board just right and use his speed to carry him (into the pit). His first track meet, we didn’t have a lot of success. By the middle of the season and going into the Cen-Tex, I knew if he could be confident in him self and trust his mark … he’d get a good jump. I was hoping he could break 21 [feet]; I knew he was going to break 20. He hit 21 one other time, lost his balance, and it knocked him back to 18, but he still won the meet. I was really excited. What’s great about Lache is that he listens to what his coaches tell him. That’s hard these days: finding kids that’ll listen to you. It’s just been a pleasure to coach him.
Jump Texas: Would you say Lache is one of the most talented athletes you’ve ever coached, or is he the most talented? Where does he rank on the scale?
Coach Butch Olsen: I’ve coached both boys and girls … and I’d say, in 13 years, he’s probably one of the most talented boys I’ve coached, especially at his age level. At 13 years old, most of the time you don’t find this kind of talent [especially] in the eighth grade. You might find it … in the sophomore year — or maybe in the junior year, but I think it’s very uncommon to find it at this age. He performs well on the football field and on the basketball court. He always tells me I get really excited when he is performing. I tell him, ‘You didn’t see me on the sidelines, shaking my fist, going, YEAH! YEAH! YEAH! YEAH!?!’ That’s just the way I am: I get excited when he plays football or plays basketball, or when he’s jumping for me. I’m really get excited about the kids. I get into the game.
Jump Texas: Did Lache break the school record?
Coach Butch Olsen: He set three school records this year. He broke the 100-meter dash record. The old record was 11.21. He set a new record at 10.89. He set a new record in the long jump. The old record was 20 feet, 7 inches. His jump is 20 feet, 9 ½ inches. So that’s a new record. He also set a new record in the 400-meter run. The old record was 54.02 and … he ran a 52.25. So he set three new records, this year, all by himself. He also runs the sprint relay, and the sprint relay set a new record this year. The time on that was 45.57, and the old one was 46.02. They beat it by five-hundredths of a second. Our mile relay won first place (at district). We were only three seconds off … the record. In that one, he ran a 52.59 for his quarter in the mile relay. He performed real well there, too.
Lache Seastrunk: We were down by a little bit. I was on the curve and [the other runner] was already on the straightaway. I remembered Coach Olsen saying, ‘Never give up. Push.’ I just kept pushing, and I got him at the end.
Jump Texas: Coming into the Cen-Tex championships, how did you feel about the possibility of your performances — the potential to jump far and run fast?
Lache Seastrunk: The day of the meet I was just sitting at the back of the bus, y’know, praying, ‘Hopefully, I’m blessed — I’ll do good.’ God gave me this talent to go ahead and use it for him. The coaches — it’s just a blessing to have them around. They believe in me. They’re always helping me, working with me in everything. They never set low expectations. It’s always high. So, I was pushing [my self at district]. I knew … Coach [Olsen] was shocked [during the long jump] ‘cause I jumped out there — finally got my mark down. So, I thank him the most, because he always knows what to do. If I overshoot [the board] a little bit, he’ll scoot me back. I thank Coach Olsen, always, for never giving up on me and believing in me.
Jump Texas: What is your favorite subject?
Lache Seastrunk: … probably (career connections) and English.
Coach Butch Olsen: (In career connections), we talk about how (the kids) should dress — how they should talk when they go in to interviews.
Jump Texas: For what reason is English a favorite subject?
Lache Seastrunk: On my last test, I had a 90.
Jump Texas: Is there any area in terms of the TAKS test that you’re good at?
Lache Seastrunk: English, science, social studies, uh, math — kind of off, but I’m good in that. Those are the four I like.
Jump Texas: How do you feel you’re going to represent in the long jump, over the next four years, at the high school level?
Lache Seastrunk: Only thing I can do is work hard — put forth more effort than I did in middle school.
Jump Texas: Who do you think is the greatest high jumper, long jumper, triple jumper or pole vaulter?
Lache Seastrunk: Can it be a runner?
Jump Texas: It can be a runner.
Lache Seastrunk: Jacob Norman and Michael Johnson.
Coach Butch Olsen: If it were a long jumper, I’d say Carl Lewis. I’d have to put him right up there at the top. He always impressed me. As far as runners go, I’d have to say Michael Johnson.
Jump Texas: What is something you’d like to tell aspiring athletes?
Lache Seastrunk: If you’re struggling, never give up. At the end of the day, you’ll be successful.
Coach Butch Olsen: Well, I’ve been coaching Lache since football [season ’05]. Knew he had a lot of talent and in track season we had to get Lache convinced … to trust his [long jump] mark instead of trying to guess…. Last year, he had a hard time hitting his mark. This year, we concentrated on getting his steps down so he could hit the board just right and use his speed to carry him (into the pit). His first track meet, we didn’t have a lot of success. By the middle of the season and going into the Cen-Tex, I knew if he could be confident in him self and trust his mark … he’d get a good jump. I was hoping he could break 21 [feet]; I knew he was going to break 20. He hit 21 one other time, lost his balance, and it knocked him back to 18, but he still won the meet. I was really excited. What’s great about Lache is that he listens to what his coaches tell him. That’s hard these days: finding kids that’ll listen to you. It’s just been a pleasure to coach him.
Jump Texas: Would you say Lache is one of the most talented athletes you’ve ever coached, or is he the most talented? Where does he rank on the scale?
Coach Butch Olsen: I’ve coached both boys and girls … and I’d say, in 13 years, he’s probably one of the most talented boys I’ve coached, especially at his age level. At 13 years old, most of the time you don’t find this kind of talent [especially] in the eighth grade. You might find it … in the sophomore year — or maybe in the junior year, but I think it’s very uncommon to find it at this age. He performs well on the football field and on the basketball court. He always tells me I get really excited when he is performing. I tell him, ‘You didn’t see me on the sidelines, shaking my fist, going, YEAH! YEAH! YEAH! YEAH!?!’ That’s just the way I am: I get excited when he plays football or plays basketball, or when he’s jumping for me. I’m really get excited about the kids. I get into the game.
Jump Texas: Did Lache break the school record?
Coach Butch Olsen: He set three school records this year. He broke the 100-meter dash record. The old record was 11.21. He set a new record at 10.89. He set a new record in the long jump. The old record was 20 feet, 7 inches. His jump is 20 feet, 9 ½ inches. So that’s a new record. He also set a new record in the 400-meter run. The old record was 54.02 and … he ran a 52.25. So he set three new records, this year, all by himself. He also runs the sprint relay, and the sprint relay set a new record this year. The time on that was 45.57, and the old one was 46.02. They beat it by five-hundredths of a second. Our mile relay won first place (at district). We were only three seconds off … the record. In that one, he ran a 52.59 for his quarter in the mile relay. He performed real well there, too.
Lache Seastrunk: We were down by a little bit. I was on the curve and [the other runner] was already on the straightaway. I remembered Coach Olsen saying, ‘Never give up. Push.’ I just kept pushing, and I got him at the end.
Jump Texas: Coming into the Cen-Tex championships, how did you feel about the possibility of your performances — the potential to jump far and run fast?
Lache Seastrunk: The day of the meet I was just sitting at the back of the bus, y’know, praying, ‘Hopefully, I’m blessed — I’ll do good.’ God gave me this talent to go ahead and use it for him. The coaches — it’s just a blessing to have them around. They believe in me. They’re always helping me, working with me in everything. They never set low expectations. It’s always high. So, I was pushing [my self at district]. I knew … Coach [Olsen] was shocked [during the long jump] ‘cause I jumped out there — finally got my mark down. So, I thank him the most, because he always knows what to do. If I overshoot [the board] a little bit, he’ll scoot me back. I thank Coach Olsen, always, for never giving up on me and believing in me.
Jump Texas: What is your favorite subject?
Lache Seastrunk: … probably (career connections) and English.
Coach Butch Olsen: (In career connections), we talk about how (the kids) should dress — how they should talk when they go in to interviews.
Jump Texas: For what reason is English a favorite subject?
Lache Seastrunk: On my last test, I had a 90.
Jump Texas: Is there any area in terms of the TAKS test that you’re good at?
Lache Seastrunk: English, science, social studies, uh, math — kind of off, but I’m good in that. Those are the four I like.
Jump Texas: How do you feel you’re going to represent in the long jump, over the next four years, at the high school level?
Lache Seastrunk: Only thing I can do is work hard — put forth more effort than I did in middle school.
Jump Texas: Who do you think is the greatest high jumper, long jumper, triple jumper or pole vaulter?
Lache Seastrunk: Can it be a runner?
Jump Texas: It can be a runner.
Lache Seastrunk: Jacob Norman and Michael Johnson.
Coach Butch Olsen: If it were a long jumper, I’d say Carl Lewis. I’d have to put him right up there at the top. He always impressed me. As far as runners go, I’d have to say Michael Johnson.
Jump Texas: What is something you’d like to tell aspiring athletes?
Lache Seastrunk: If you’re struggling, never give up. At the end of the day, you’ll be successful.
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