Lance Slichko '17 Recruiting Profile

I'm a good candidate for your team because I have a positive, focused and hard-working attitude. I train to win, but the team matters to me and I listen to coaches. I help people on my team and in life who are just starting out or need some help to better themselves.  I've refereed soccer for 6 years, I'm the youth representative and a member of the Pierce County Soccer Referee Board of Directors and I'm good with interacting with children and kids younger than me because I have patience and want to teach them what I've learned.  I've refereed nearly 400 games from U8 - U18 in select and premier soccer as a (US Soccer Grade 7) center ref and assistant ref.  I also work 5 hours a month at my church's food bank helping stock the shelves, and getting items for people who need the assistance to make ends meet. My work ethic is strong in school, in track and cross country training and at work in a job. I had a lot of fun and worked hard in XC and track this school year and I was named South Puget Sound Male Athlete of the Year in XC and also in Track.  I'm a 3 year XC Varsity letterman and a 2 year varsity letterman in track. I love to run.   I want to help the freshman and sophomores in XC and track because I had a senior who really guided me when I was an underclassman.  Lastly, I want to help my coach keep building up our high school XC program and distance runners in track too.  I want to win, compete and keep caring for and helping my teammates and people to help them succeed.

I'd like to get my college education and degree. I'm interested in engineering (preferably civil engineering) or math. I completed my 4th year of the Spanish language and liked it.  My high school and junior high were great schools to go to and all of my teachers have been really good. I like all of my coaches and I've been able to talk to other runners at bigtime running high schools in my state to get additional tips on training and tactics. I like my competitors from the other schools; we talk and text a lot; and I respect them.  They're good guys, but we all try to win when we race against each other.

In XC, I've been to the states twice.  Once with my team as a sophomore and as the only individual who made it from my school as a junior.  I like the weather, course and endurance of XC.  Our district meet was a mudfest near Tacoma this year and the states were 70 degree weather in eastern Washington.  I like to run in both.  I'm also a captain this year in XC. In XC in 2016, I want to finish in the top 35 at states and run below 15:20.  In track, I like the tactics of the 1500 and 1600m but really like the tactics and strategy you can do in the 3200m.  I'd like to try other events too in college like longer distances or even the steeplechase. In track, I made states once in the 1600m (got 8th this year in districts and just missed by .2  of a second after a very physical race...and learned from it) and made it twice in 3200m...finishing 11th in 2015 and 8th with a p.r. of 9:22 in it and achieved my goal of getting on the podium at states this year. In 2017, I want to hit 4:18 in the 1600m and finish in the top 7 at states and 9:13 in the 3200m and finish in the top 3 at states.

Accomplishments:

XC: SPSL Male Athlete of the Year 2015, Ironman (no missed events or practices) award 2014, All Academic team 2013, 2014, 2015, All SPSL 2nd team 2014, All Team 2015. PRs each year. Made states 2014, 2015. Finished 7th in league championship, 17th in districts and 84th in states out of 144 in 2015. I improved by 35 places and 45 seconds in states from my 2014 performance there.

Track: School record in 3200m - 9:22.11. All Academic Team 2 years. SPSL Male Track Athlete of the year 2016. States in 1600m 2015, 3200m in 2015, 2016. Finished 11th in 2015 and 8th in 2016 with p.r. and broke my own school record. I'm presently 2nd for the school record in the 1600m at my high school. I want to break that in 2017.

Overall,  I like to compete, focus and work hard. My teammates in XC and track are my friends and we have a lot of fun running.  I want us to do well as a team in my senior year, and I want it to be a good program for my sister when she's a freshman runner in the fall of 2017.  I want to run at the highest level that I'm capable of doing. I think the same way about my school studies and what I want to do with my life, too.  In school, I want to be the best that I can be academically and broaden my understanding of math and science, grow as a person, and enjoy the time with my friends and family.

Thank you for your interest in me.