Final stretch for Lovelace

Luke Lovelace burst onto the track and field scene as a freshman phenom, and now as a senior his desire to excel has only intensified

By AKILAH IMANI NELSON - ainelson@thestate.com

Luke Lovelace is the Gingerbread Man of South Carolina distance running.

Run, run as fast as they can, competitors have been unable to catch the Chapin High standout.

They will get their final crack at him this weekend, when Lovelace will try to add to his collection of four state championships. He is the top seed in the 800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs at the Class 3A meet Saturday at Spring Valley High.

Throughout his hugely successful high school career — he owns seven track and field state medals and two cross country championships — his desire to run faster never has waned. Sometimes that desire is too strong.

“He says, ‘I can get better.’ And that’s what makes him do it,” Chapin coach Jack LeGrand said. “I don’t have a problem with him never being satisfied, but I have a problem when he starts to internalize it negatively, if he makes it a major thing.”

Lovelace has been driven by the memory of his freshman season, when he came from behind on the final lap of the 3,200 to win at the state meet. He ran that race in 10 minutes, 7.44 seconds, which was 9 seconds faster than his qualifying time.

Ever since, he has been pushing himself to improve his times.

He has succeeded.

Lovelace is going for his third consecutive 1,600 title Saturday. He won the race with a time of 4:20.6 in 2006 and 4:21 in 2007. His time at last weekend’s qualifying meet, 4:25.88, was nearly five seconds faster than the No. 2 seed, Bluffton’s Nic Tones.

After finishing second in the 800 at last year’s state championships in 1:58.58, Lovelace returns to the event with a qualifying time of 1:57.82. His best time in the event is 1:57.20.

“I just feel really blessed about my season. I knew I was capable of the times that I have this year,” Lovelace said. Yet ... “I’m not very easily satisfied with my times.”

His drive to excel might be inherited.

Lovelace’s mother, Mary, was a member of the Clemson swimming team. His three older siblings were state champions and all-state athletes in soccer, baseball and cross country.

As expectations of Lovelace — internal and external — have risen, LeGrand has been a release valve for his star runner.

“He’s really good at turning pressure situations into nonpressure situations,” Lovelace said.

LeGrand’s optimism and his ability to underscore life’s humor have helped Lovelace through some stressful situations.

For instance, when Lovelace made his second consecutive appearance in the Foot Locker Nationals cross country meet in December, his goal was to run a personal best.“(LeGrand) made it so that I was out there running not just to do well, but to enjoy it,” Lovelace said.

Lovelace and LeGrand like to keep it light.

“You have to be loose with Luke, and we are both kind of laid-back that way,” LeGrand said. “I just try to point out how crazy things are and how crazy things can be, and just be optimistic.”

As much as Lovelace has focused in improving as a runner, he prizes his character development during his high school years as much as he does his medals.

Each time Lovelace is presented a medal, he shakes hands with all of his competitors before he steps on the podium. He also waits near the finish line to see his teammates cross.

“I knew he was going to be a terrific runner when he was in the fourth grade, but I didn’t know how good a teammate and how good a person he would become,” LeGrand said.

Reach Nelson at (803) 771-8419.