Student Athlete of the Week Jeremy Gillett

Although he has his own personal goals, Jeremy Gillett is typically thinking about his team before anything else.

On April 1, for example, the Niwot High School track and field senior shared that he took immense pride in representing his school as he competed on his home track at the NoCo Series #1 meet. Gillett ran in the 1,600-meter and as the race remained crowded up front entering the final stretch, his final push was motivated by a force greater than himself.

"In that last 100 (meters), I knew I had to beat those other kids to show pride for Niwot since we're hosting this meet," Gillett said.

Gillett wasn't quite able to pass everyone, but his fourth-place time of 4 minutes, 23.69 seconds left him content knowing that he emptied the tank against several of the state's top middle-distance runners.

"(It was) a competitive race, but I just locked in there and then went the last two laps," Gillett said. "(There were) a lot more guys who had that in them to run fast toward the front, so it felt more like a state-caliber race or a more later in the season kind of race."

He added that running alongside fellow elite athletes aided in keeping him focused throughout the race.

Earlier in the season, Gillett competed against a similarly deep group of talented runners in the St. Vrain RE-IJ District Meet on March 10, placing third in the 1,600 meter and winning the 3,200 meter race. He also took sixth in the 3,200 meter about two weeks later at the Chandler Rotary T&F Classic in Arizona.

Those longer distance events are where Gillett truly thrives; he took 19th in the Class 4A cross country state championships last fall before being named to the BoCoPreps.com all-state team. Gillett is currently committed to Colorado School of Mines for cross country in the fall.

With his freshman year of college down in Golden still a few months away, Gillett hopes to end his track and field career on a high note at the state meet next month.

"Top-five in the two-mile would be a goal," Gillett said. "But just (winning) as a team, that's all I care about."