Name: Owen Horeni

School: Yorkville, senior

Sport: Track and field

Why he was selected: Horeni took third place in the 800-meter run at the prestigious Arcadia Invitational in California in 1:50.25, breaking his own school record. The time is the No. 1-ranked time in Illinois and the No. 7 team in the country.

He was selected the Athlete of the Week in an online vote. Other nominees were Sandwich baseball’s Jeffrey Ashley, Oswego softball’s Adalynn Fugitt and Oswego East track and field’s Jamari McKay.

Here is Horeni’s interview with Sports Editor Joshua Welge.

Obviously it looks like a great race for you at Arcadia. How did you feel about it?

Horeni: I felt great performing at a meet of that size. It gives me confidence going into the rest of the season knowing that I have the potential to do even better.

What does competing in a meet like that do for you as you progress into outdoor season?

Horeni: It gives me a lot of experience racing in a championship environment, as there is a set time schedule that is followed down to a T. It assists me in preparing well for the postseason and hopefully national caliber meets.

You have the No. 1 Illinois time, No. 7 in the country. How do you feel about the time and where you’re at?

Horeni: I’m really happy with where I’m at right now but I’m not content, I’d love to continue working for more and higher rankings. I know there’s always small changes I can make and improve on.

What are your goals for the rest of the season?

Horeni: Going into the rest of the season I’d love to be able to go sub 4 minutes in the mile, it’s a huge barrier to break and a difficult one but I believe I have the skill set to do it. At the state meet I want to break the state meet record and run 1:48. After the state meet I plan to attend a few national meets that should give me an even better chance at that sub 4 mark.

How did the commitment to Notre Dame come together and what made you decide to make that commitment? What do you plan on studying?

Horeni: The commitment process was a long one but it was definitely worth it. The history of the program along with the great coaches and team, combined with the prestige of the school as a whole propelled me into making that decision. When I’m there I plan to study either accounting or finance and hopefully stay for a fifth year to attain my MBA.