“I was very relaxed but I was so eager to see what my time was,” senior Sean Conway said.

Conway, a middle distance runner and captain of the Boys’ Track and Field team, placed seventh overall in the 800m race at PIAA State Championship race on Feb. 28. His time of 1:56 minutes is now the new school record.

“Immediately after I crossed the finish line, I looked to the big screen and saw that I had achieved my goal,” Conway said. “I was at peace mentally because I had completed the task I had been working so hard towards for so many months.”

Competition is anything but new for the recently committed Bucknell University athlete. “I have been running since 4th grade  and I always loved racing kids during recess”he said.

Last year Conway secured a sixth place finish in the 400m race before suffering from a hamstring injury during the spring season.  But Conway’s story is one of perseverance. “The injury has been a motivating factor,” Distance Coach Sean DeLosAngeles said in interview with papreplive.  “He’s driven to push himself more now than ever before.”

There is no doubt that the injury has changed Conway’s mentality toward the sport. “Although much of your improvement does come from how much you push yourself during workouts coaches assign you, its crucial that you are taking care of yourself,” Conway said. “And not doing stupid things outside of your sport that can put you at risk for an injury.”

In addition to being a captain of the Boys’ Track team, Conway is also a part of the NHS Roadies, a club that is designed to showcase the talents of exceptional actors and actresses.

Conway now proves to be a threat in both the 400m and 800m races, as well as numerous relays. “There is nothing better than running in a high quality 4×400 meter relay.”