Edward Cheserek has taken America by storm in just two short years.
Photo courtesy of Mike Scanlon
Two years ago, Edward Cheserek arrived at the airport in Newark, N.J.,
with nothing but the clothes on his back. He had been sent from an
orphanage in Kenya to
St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.) for his sophomore year by Stadi Za Maisha, an educational trust.
"Coming to America was my dream," the 5-foot-7, 130-pound star told MaxPreps.
Today
Cheserek is the No. 1 distance runner in the nation and he blushingly
concedes that admiring fans call him "Rock Star, or King Cheserek."
He was the first to admit, "I used to be a good runner, but I didn't expect to be that good."
Even
though the soft-spoken Cheserek was the 10,000-meter champion of
the Great Rift Valley at Kapcherop High School and was a talented
midfielder in soccer, when he enrolled at St. Benedict's, coach Marty
Hannon told MaxPreps, "We heard he was a runner, but we had no idea how
good he was."
It didn't take Hannon long to discover just how
good his newcomer was. He liked to work out his cross country team in
August by running repeat miles. On a hot, humid day, the newcomer ran
six repeat miles in times ranging from 4:30 to 5 minutes each. The
coach's standard had been 4:50 to 5:30.
Hannon shouldn't have
been too surprised, because Cheserek had been used to running 8,000
meters in Kenya, not the USA distance of 5,000 meters.
Sunday workouts in Holmdel enabled the Graybees to match up with state powerhouse Christian Brothers Academy (Lincroft, N.J.). Hannon
recalled, "Edward jumped into these runs and was running with them with
no problem. Right after that, Edward got a stress fracture and was out
for six weeks."
His first race came in late September and all he
did was win the Great American Cross Country Festival in Cary, N.C., for
independent schools with a time of 15:24.2. Later he finished second to
Jim Rosa of West Windsor-Plainsboro (West Windsor, N.J.) during the
Manhattan College Invitational.
The big one was placing second
to Illinois superstar Lukas Verzbicas at the Nike Cross Nationals in
Portland, Ore. Verzbicas was clocked in 15:59.2, while Cheserek was on
his heels in 16:01.5.
"That was a surprise," Hannon said,
"because nobody knew about Edward. They were running stride for stride.
Lukas opened up a little gap and Edward closed it as the race finished."
During
the indoor track season, Hannon and Cheserek were surprised by his fast
times in the 800 and mile, because they both had expected longer
distances to be his greatest strength. For example, he ran a 4:08.1 mile
leg on a distance medley relay.
"The 800 was really good to get my momentum for speed," the Kenya native explained.
Cheserek
set a national sophomore indoor record when he ran the 2-mile in
8:42.66 while placing second to Verzbicas (8;40.70) during the New
Balance Nationals at the Armory in New York City.
In his first
year of track as a sophomore, he ran the 3,000 steeplechase in
9:00.11 - the fastest ever by a 17-year-old - during an open meet
against older runners at Princeton University. He said he hopes to lower
that record this spring.
Last summer he set a 5,000-meter record
(14:25.74) while winning the title during the New Balance Outdoor
Nationals in Greensboro, N.C. That meet also produced a personal triumph
over Joe Rosa, whom he had beaten in the Nike Cross Nationals.
Running anchor on the distance medley relay, Cheserek said, "I was expecting my team to keep it close so I could win easily."
Though
not always being able to keep the first three legs close in some
earlier meets, this time his teammate trailed by just 3 seconds when
he handed over the baton. Even though Rosa's team was seeded No. 1 and
St. Benedict's No. 5, Cheserek blew him away with a brilliant 4:02.30
anchor to give his team an outstanding winning time of 9:51.97.
He
placed second during the Dream Mile in New York City - again to
Verzbicas - with a national sophomore-record time of 4:03.29. On that
occasion Verzbicas broke the coveted 4-minute barrier with a time of
3:59.71.
Cheserek's junior cross country campaign was
phenomenal. He won every race, setting course records in all but one.
Six of the course records he broke were ones he had set as a sophomore. His eyelash victory over Futsum Zienasellassie of
North Central (Indianapolis) during the Foot Locker Nationals in San Diego was one of the greatest prep cross country races in history.
"It
was kind of scary," Cheserek said of the Foot Locker race. "(I thought)
I was going to die. I tried three times (to get a good lead), but he
was right there. I kicked at the end."
Hannon described the
legendary race as "pretty amazing. They were stride for stride the whole
way. It was just a foot race the last 100 meters."
The winning time was 14:51.5. The second-place time was 14:52.1.
Even
before the race, the two had become good friends and that
friendship was cemented when the champ graciously asked the runner-up to
say a few words after he had accepted his first-place award. They
continue to stay in touch when they have time.
During indoor
track season, Cheserek set a national 5,000 record (13:57.04) in
the Millrose Games. An American and a college record also were set
during the open race. He actually lapped the field while winning the 2-mile (8:43.16) during the Stanner Games at the Armory in New York City.
During the New Balance Games he ran the mile in 4:02.12.
With
the outdoor campaign just getting underway, he already has set a New
Jersey state record by winning the 10,000 in 29:42 during the
Sam Howell Invitational at Princeton University. He will run in the Penn Relays this weekend.
Meanwhile, the 18-year-old Cheserek has become a special member of the St. Benedict's family in less than two full years.Hannon says, "He's a quiet kid, but pretty popular. They all know what a rock star he is today."
Athletic
director Ed Bendokis adds, "He's probably the nicest kid in school.
He's truly what St. Benedict's Prep is all about. He came to America for
a shot. He's completely entrenched in the student body. He's a great
young man, a joy to be around. He has no ego for the unbelievable
success that he's had."
Media director Ron Jandoli has seen Cheserek mature in a short time. Jandoli
recalled, "He was like a deer in the headlights when he got here. There
was the language barrier, but he's truly funny when you get to know
him."
On one occasion he grabbed a teammate for a television
reporter when he knew that he was to be the object of the interview. On
another occasion he kiddingly told a member of the media, "You know you
only want to talk to me if I win."
Cheserek has returned to Kenya twice since coming to America, once due to the death of his father.
He admitted, "I miss my family, my friends and my home country."
He revealed that he plans to return to Kenya this summer to train for his senior year at St. Benedict's. His biggest goal before then is "to win the national championship."
He carries a 2.8 GPA and has heard from such colleges as Oregon, Texas, Oklahoma State, Wisconsin, Iona and Villanova.
Hannon
summed up his superstar's future when he said, "I don't like to put
undue burdens on kids, but all I can say is that his times beat guys
(who have been) in the Olympics."
