Name: Kuba Bartnik
School: Glenwood Springs High School
What was your most memorable race/throw/jump/vault/moment?
My most memorable race is undeniably my 100m dash personal best my junior year at the Demon Invitational. To be able to run a PR and win the event in front of my home town was a goal I had set for myself during my freshman year, and I was finally able to reach this victory two years later.
In the 100m dash final, our team went 1-2, with my teammate, Ale Angeles behind me, who had pushed me throughout the duration of the season. As soon as I crossed that finish line, I knew I had set a new PR for myself, and shortly after found out that was also a state-qualifying time! I was beyond thrilled, with many of my teammates raising me and celebrating that race.
Afterward, I proceeded to congratulate the competition and hugged Ale. I would also double back to win the 200 at my home meet as well, with the boys' side also sweeping the competition.
A day or so afterward, I found myself in the MileSplit article "Demons Rage At The Demon Invitational," and was stoked that Mr. Reyes was there and wrote about me!
READ: Demons Rage At The Demon Invitational
While I have raced against some great athletes and individuals, my biggest competition would have to be my teammates, from freshman year to now.Glenwood Springs has had a lot of fierce competition, with every year having various and different individuals rise.
My teammates were the ones I would want to outwork yet push, day in and day out. I knew that if I wanted to be successful, I would have to outrun a lot of upperclassmen, and they took me under their wing, encouraged me, and supported the work.
Every season, the team would have kids who wanted to work their tails off, and I bought into that and tried to push myself along with the rest of the crew to be the best we could be.
What was your greatest accomplishment?
My greatest achievement in high school track is either breaking the freshman record at Glenwood Springs High School in the 400m dash, or running my state qualifying times my junior year.
From the beginning and through the duration of my freshman year, I had set a goal to break that record of 52.95, and by the end of the season, I reached 52.63, setting a new record. Behind that record was a lot of dedication and hard work, along with support from many of my teammates, coaches, and family. They helped to build me up and see that the goal can be a reality.
My junior season was an interesting one, as I worked extremely hard to try and reach the state track and field meet, and I did! To be able to have my name in the mix with the fastest kids in the state was a feeling like none other; to see my name on the screen at JeffCo Stadium made me realize that all the work and time was worth it.
Ultimately, I would not have reached that goal if it wasn't for my teammates pushing me in practice, the coaches encouraging me and listening to my goals, and my family, who seen and supported me every day and attended every meet they possibly could.
If you could do it all over again what would you change about your career in high school?
If I had the chance to go through high school again, I would first invest all of my time that I did any sports into track and field; if you put in the work and do it correctly, the results will show over time.
Track is genuinely the only sport to bring me joy and solace, unlike any, and other programs like football never gave me that feeling; it was just no fun.
I would also try and work smarter, doing better workouts for myself in the offseason. This was evident throughout my "sophomore slump" season, as I put in the work, but did not do the best workouts for runners.
What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
A challenging obstacle I had to overcome was my "sophomore slump" season, where I did not see any PRs, and got into my head until my junior season. My sophomore year was the time I quit football to concentrate on track solely, and that did not turn out to my favor, as I remained to do workouts that do not benefit sprinters.
I was discouraged; however, I saw I had to work smarter and harder while taking control, which is what I did in the offseason.
Slowly, my progression showed! I reached goals I had set for myself, and eventually qualified for the state meet in my sprint events!
What will you miss the most?
I am going to miss the whole team and the coaches...
They have been a crucial element in my development as an athlete. As we are in the home stretch of my high school career, I realize I still have a lot to unravel and unyoke about myself as a person, and as well as an athlete.
I hope to retain my goals and to proceed with working hard. I am so fortunate and blessed to have been around many individuals, coaches, and family who have helped to uncover me and my skills.
What advice would you give to younger athletes?
I would tell younger athletes that success is not always as shown. Failure paves the way to success, helping to expose through the work, and learning. One should not be afraid to fail, especially when in a stressful patch.
There is a process, and throughout my high school career, I was constantly told to "trust the process." I bought into that further my junior year, and have seen what it may do for all athletes if they just put in the practice and have belief within themselves, their community, and team.
To younger athletes, make the most of your opportunities, make the right judgments, and keep grinding, sharpen your skills every day that is possible; run every time like it is your last.
What influence has your coach had with respect to your performance and overall life goals?
My Coaches have been incredible to me. They believed in me, ever since I stepped foot on the track for the first time in high school.
Coach Risner has been a phenomenal coach and has coached for over a quarter-century at Glenwood. He knows how to work a team, and he understands various athletes.
Coach Risner has put so much into the team and me; ever since middle school, where he was my 7th and 8th-grade P.E. teacher, the class would run a "fence line" and try to gain continuous growth and PR every time we ran. He emboldens kids to do their best continually and will stop and investigate what a kid needs to do to become better. He has built me up as an athlete, sparking my love for track and field to devour like wildfire.
Not only has he helped me, Coach Risner has constructed many athletes who have seen success not only at the middle school or high school level but at the collegiate level.
Coach Risner has vast, incredible expertise in all events of track and field, and competed at Adams State University, which has always been a forceful and prominent cross country/track and field program.
I am incredibly thankful to have him be my coach throughout the years, as he has taught me the excellence of track and field, alongside Coach Kishimoto.
Coach Kishimoto has also seen me develop over the years, through the Springers track club, and high school. He has been assisting Coach Risner for over two decades and has produced many prominent athletes.
Coach Kishimoto has invested so much into the program, and it is seen, as he has sent at least one hurdler to state every year that he has been a part of the program.
Although this season has been cut short, these coaches have been remarkably understanding and have shown continual support within the program. I am going to miss all of the track and field coaching staff here at Glenwood Springs High School, but I am thankful that they have bettered me, equipping me for college, as I look to pursue track even more!
What are your college plans?
Currently, I am an unsigned senior and am still looking for the right program to join. I aspire to run college track and grow as an individual and as an athlete, while studying kinesiology or go somewhere into the biomedical field. Although I do not have certainty right now, I am especially thrilled to keep running track, while pursuing my goal to best equip me with various skills, so I may take on whatever challenges life may throw at me!
Who would you like to say 'thank you' to?
There are many individuals who I would like to thank...
My Coaches, (Coach Risner and Coach Kish), my wonderful and hard-working parents who have always supported me, my teammates from freshman year up until now, Alex who took me under his wing when I was a freshman, Michelle who has encouraged, understood, and supported me in track and has helped me keep my head up when difficult times arose while also being a component in my growth, and those who have helped me to be a better athlete or a better individual in any sort of way.
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
While there is uncertainty and question for this season, there is still hope.
I am most unquestionably still working my tail off every day I can to become a more skilled athlete and a better individual, and I want to push and encourage track and field athletes throughout Colorado to keep grinding and keep their heads up.
This work will pay off ultimately, with hopes of a season this year, and if not, then the results will show for all subsequently- if, in college, or for other athletes who are racing at the high school level. We are all in the same boat, and we will all get through this!
