At the Wichita State University’s  pre-state track meet, senior Luke Stenzel crossed the finish line in the 400-meter dash with a school record time of 49.36 seconds, the best time in the state this year.

“When I crossed the finish line, I felt pretty confident that I got a good time, but when I heard the announcer say I had won with a 49.36, I was just extremely happy,” Stenzel said.

With the time Stenzel ran, he broke the previous school record set by Jordan Riffel in 2010. He also earned the No. 1 ranking in the state for the 400 meter dash.

However, Stenzel would not have been able to achieve a school record without training for it.

Sprinters at De Soto High School do quite a bit of training, involving distance sprints with little rest and short sprints focusing on getting out of the blocks as fast as they can.

Even with the first ranking in the state, Stenzel is keeping a level head.

“It feels pretty good to know that I’m the person everyone wants to beat, but at the same time it’s a little nit of pressure to be expected to win. I see pressure as a good thing though. It helps me focus and perform.”