RIMERSBURG, Pa. (EYT/D9) — In the eighth grade, Logan Skibinski joined the track and field team so he could stay in better shape for his first sporting love, football.
It didn’t take long for him to realize how flawed that thinking was.
“I was completely wrong,” he said. “Track and football are definitely two different things when it comes to speed and conditioning. It’s just two completely different things.”
(Pictured above, Logan Skibinski/Photo by Lori Blauser)
But Skibinski quickly became enamored with track. A sprinter, he enjoyed testing himself against competition and the clock.
Last year on the Union/A-C Valley track and field team, the A-C Valley freshman was solid, routinely finishing the 100-meter dash in the 11.7 second range. But he was far from the blazer he has turned out to be this season for the Falcon Knights.
Skibinski set the program record in the 100 at his first meet of the season, finishing in 11 seconds flat. Last week, he snapped an A-C Valley record in the 200-meter dash that had stood for 40 years when he crossed the finish line in 22.3.
“Honestly, I was completely surprised,” Skibinski said. “I thought I was probably going to be the same as last year. Then I ran an 11 at Karns City in the rain and I thought, ‘Well, I guess I’m not.’”
The difference has been good old maturity — Skibinski is still only a sophomore, after all, and is still growing and getting stronger.
Another factor has been a weight lifting program for football that has carved out muscle tone in his lower and upper body.
Skibinski also has a knack for finding another gear over the final 50 meters. That’s when he typically pulls away from the field he is running against in the 100.
His focus now in the 100 is working on getting better starts out of the blocks.
In that event, every little thing counts and can make all the difference.
“That’s one of the things I’ve definitely worked on a lot since the beginning of the season,” he said. “You can definitely shave off a lot of time with a good start and most of my starts aren’t the best. I’ve always been average there. Most people stick with me right at the start and then the last 50 meters is when I start taking off.”
Skibinski certainly took off in the 200 last week in a tri-meet against Clarion-Limestone and Moniteau. He finished in 22.3 seconds to break the record of 22.6 held by Barry Louise for four decades.
Skibinski was pushed by teammate Aidan Fox in the event. Fox ran a 22.6, which would have been good enough to tie the record.
“That means a lot,” he said. “Honestly, I didn’t think I was gonna get that this year. But with Aidan pushing me in that race — I don’t think I could have done it without him. Really, either one of us can get down to 21.9 or something and any one of us could have gotten that record.”
Like in the 100, Skibinski is working to hone the fine details of his performance in the 200.
That also means working in his starts.
The 200 is a unique event because the race begins on a curve, where many races can be won and lost.
“I’m working on my curves,” Skibinski said. “I have to lean more into them and get a better start. I don’t think there’s much more I can do in the straightaway.”
Skibinski has some big goals for himself now that the calendar has turned to May.
The District 9 championship meet is rapidly approaching and then the PIAA Track and Field Championships, where Skibinski would very much like to be.
“I’m hoping to peek at districts and maybe get a 10.9 or something like that,” Skibinski said. “I still have two more years after this.”
Skibinski also has some big goals for himself on the football field.
As a sophomore this fall, he rushed for 392 yards on just 66 carries and scored five touchdowns for Union/A-C Valley. He also returned kicks and made 22 tackles on defense.
He hopes his role increases this fall.
“I definitely want to break 1,000 rushing yards,” he said. “I want to be a captain of the team and get at least one championship before I graduate.”
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