Brock Dykema: Silver Creek To Colorado State University

Tell us a little about the decision for CSU. Has this school been on your mind for a long time, or did they win the derby just recently?

During the summer and into the fall, I'd taken many visits, unofficial and official, none of which were to CSU.  I had reached out once but nothing really came of it at the time because I didn't pursue it heavily at first.  But as the cross country season progressed I started to notice CSU's success and so I really started to reach out to Coach Siemers.  It was after the state meet that I got a call from them and so I visited a couple days later and really liked what I saw.  I then had a really tough decision and what it came down to was I realized that if it weren't for running, I really wanted to be in Fort Collins, Colorado.  So, I'd say they won the derby fairly recently.  

What do you plan to study at CSU?

I plan to study exercise science and then hopefully take that into chiropractic school after my undergraduate years.  

Looking at your middle school results, it appears distance was on your mind before high school, but you had other irons in the fire as well. How did distance come to be the thing for you?

I knew distance was somewhat my thing ever since I was pretty little because I started doing triathlons when I was 6 years old and the run was always my strongest event.  I knew distance really was my thing when I first ran the Bolder Boulder when I was 8 and I was able to run the whole thing.  I then really enjoyed distance running in general and in triathlons so when I got to middle school I knew I was going to focus on it.  I did try other events including hurdles, high jump, and triple jump which I didn't really see a future in, so I just stuck to distance.  

Your current Silver Creek team really started to come together in middle school. What's it been like training with the same guys for five or six years? Any special memories down that road?

Training with all of those guys has been really amazing.  I've known all of them for so long now that they are all my best friends and we all have so much fun together.  Without them,  I would definitely not be where I am now and I thank them so much for that.  As for special memories, there isn't one specifically that stands out, but I will definitely miss all of the runs just talking about stuff like school, fantasy football, life, and the friendly trash talk between the guys.   I will definitely miss those guys a lot.  

What's your favorite event, and why?

My favorite event is probably the 5k in cross country, followed by the 3200 at a close 2nd.  The reason for that is I like being able to settle in for a bit and just grind whereas the shorter events it feels like you have to kick just as you're getting in a rhythm.  The fact that it is cross country also adds to that because I love the team aspect and the varying courses make it so fun.  

Are there any particular goals for the outdoor season ahead that you're willing to share with us?

All I'll say is I really want to get some new PR's and make the most out of my last season as a Raptor!