Transcript: Thomas Lodowski on Grit, Ambition, and Running for the Team

Good morning, and welcome back to Late Start Show. We are here today with varsity track and cross-country captain, Ohio State record holder in the 600 meter, two-time state runner-up in the 800, senior Thomas Adelsky. How are you doing today, Thomas? I'm doing great.

It's great to be on the show. Thank you, guys. Yeah, of course. And Thomas, we've obviously been going to school together for a while now, but I haven't heard the full story of where you come from, how you ended up at U.S., so can you tell me Can you just tell us a little bit of that story?

Yeah, so basically from kindergarten through eighth grade, I went to Cleveland Montessori School in Little Italy. And that school was really, really small. There were six people in my class. So I wasn't able to do sports there.

So I did sports through my church, St. Dominic's instead. My parents started me at a really young age, I think second grade. And from there, I've just been running my whole life.

I came to the U.S. when I got a Jarvis scholarship, which I'm grateful for. And it's been like this ever since. Now, has specifically running been a big part of your life since the beginning? Or is there a stretch where it was basketball or some other sport that kind of you put in between the running?

I mean, if you discount like kindergarten soccer, it's been running the whole time. I mean, I started track in second grade, cross country in second grade, I think. I mean, I'm pretty sure. And since then, like indoor track is not really a thing until you get to high school.

But for the fall and the spring, I've been running the entire time. nice i ran cross country in eighth grade and most of what i remember the hills and the bus ride so were you really serious at that age or were you just kind of doing it for enjoyment i think it was mostly for fun at that point i like it's not quite the same level as it is in high school when you're in you know middle school you're just kind of hanging out with people and running like the coaching is definitely not the same it's not as uh as high stakes i would say it's definitely more fun like you said like you just enjoy the experience like maybe you get to develop some love for the sport before you start doing like really hard workouts that maybe make you question that love for the sport you know I came here in kindergarten so my picture what the school looked like is really not anything but let's talk about how you guys kind of came into your picture what first put us on your radar your family's radar and where you think of other schools at the time what was that whole process? And do you remember your tour day? I do. Yeah.

Well, you know, my school, my elementary school and middle school, they didn't have a high school. So I knew I'd be going somewhere. And I, my family kind of looked around, we heard about us from a friend. And so I, you know, I just looking through all my options, I decided to shadow and I love the shadow day, you know, it felt like everybody really was like part of a community.

And that like the teachers weren't lecturing, they were just kind of like talking. And people were understanding what they were saying and I really liked that um and then obviously the running is pretty good here so you know that didn't hurt and what was that adjustment like I mean do you remember the first time you walked in you heard about the sponsor system the house system it's a lot to take in was there an adjustment period for you or were you really just did you jump right in I would say I mean it was a little tough at first but I pride myself on my ability to kind of adapt to new situations so you know maybe after the first month or so I kind of developed a rhythm got my started getting my homework done, like meeting with teachers when I needed to. And, you know, I worked out. You know, making that quick switch to high school track, all of us have, you know, we're playing freshman, sophomore year sports at the very least.

And all of us have that, that one upperclassman who kind of stays in your mind as being like kind of the first mentor teacher to you. When you think about early, early, you looking into running, who was that first person on the team who really want to who pushed you to sign up and do what you did I would say there were a few I mean signing up not so much because I kind of knew coming in like track is what I want to do and like I'm this is what I'm here for um but I would say you know Chase Grepin and Quinn McPhail were two upperclassmen my freshman sophomore years that really helped me and like they were obviously invested in the team you could really tell that they cared about it they cared about what they did i still remember chase crapping gave me a ride to uh spring break practices for track which i really appreciated because i wouldn't have been able to get there otherwise um so yeah they had a big impact on me i would say now the 800 meter uh run which is your you know famous event has a reputation for being one of the cruelest events in track because you can't really sprint it and it's hard to pace so how did you end up doing that one honestly i i just kind of happened. I mean, I've since what second grade, when I started track, I've been doing distance events. And I mean, in middle school and elementary school, that was more so the mile than the 800.

But like, as I came into high school, I kind of realized that I was better at the 800 than I was at the mile. And so you ever since then, like, I just have been kind of specializing in the 800 because that's what I'm that's what I've been good at. So I mean, it is cruel, I would definitely say it's like the hardest event track, not the 400. But, you know, it's also enjoyable because you get a really big sense of accomplishment when you're done.

You feel like you've really done something, even though it's really difficult. You know, one of the things that obviously we're going to see this Saturday with the Gilmore game is the fact that at U.S., football, hockey, basketball games get packed. So the student section is going crazy. While a lot of those big track moments happen in front of pretty much just your teammates and your parents, How does that kind of shape the way you compete?

And does a quiet meet to you ever mess with you a little bit more than a louder meet I would say I mean first of all it understandable I mean track meets are multiple hours and we only running for you know a couple minutes at a time at most If you a sprinter that a couple seconds So I definitely understand that, like, the reasoning behind there not being a big student section at track meets. That's not like, it doesn't offend us or anything. But like, I would say when you get to big meets, like, you know, regionals or states where there's a huge crowd and everybody's screaming, you definitely kind of get like a boost of adrenaline. that can be good or bad depending on who you are. I mean, if you're accustomed to it, it definitely helps because it kind of boosts you, like it's your energy gone.

But if you're a little nervous, like my sophomore year, I think going into regionals and states, like I had never really run in front of a crowd like that before because like you said, it's kind of a, it's usually just friends and parents. And I mean, it's pretty different to go from just that to like this overwhelmingly loud crowd that's really screaming at you. And like your adrenaline goes so, your heart starts beating so fast and you just have to like deal with that that's a bit difficult to do at first you know speaking of that sophomore year let's look a lot more big stage you ended up going to the new balance nationals indoor and then ran a 155 46 take us to that weekend was it like standing on the line with some of those oregon commits maryland commits you know best kids of the countries for that first time especially looking at them in your sophomore year i mean honestly i i didn't really know what to expect going to new balance it was i mean i've kind of looked at it as a way to get out of a little bit of school before spring break and to get to to run at another fast meet i mean once you get to a certain level in track one of the best things you can do is is well here let me start it once you get to a certain level in track it's hard to find races where you're going to be really pushed because the more people you can run with that are as fast or faster than you the better you're gonna do for the most part so like being able to go to new balance is something that has been able has enabled me to run faster because surrounding yourself with people that are better than you will make you better but again like there's definitely a nerves component like walking into new balance it's this huge facility that's on like the third floor in like a fully a city i'd never been to before in boston i mean it's like packed with people with parents there's these guys walking around that like I've only seen on Instagram that like are you know winning meets that are super famous like or that are running national records things like that like I'm not or at that point like I was not someone who was like on the same level as these guys and so I'm seeing them I'm like wow like how am I possibly going to compete with that and then I think once you start racing once you get on the line that kind of goes away and you turn into just like, I'm here now, like I have to do this, and let's just go and get it over with, like see what I can do. And it ended up working out.

Another big meet you ran was in 2025 at the state meet where you finished third in Division I just as a sophomore, and you took the school record. But were you excited about that accomplishment, or were you still hungry to beat those two guys that finished in front of you? I think, I mean, two things can be true. I was thrilled, obviously.

It was a huge, huge thing to get the school record. because, you know, I had been working towards it. And the week before, I just missed it by like, I don't even know, like a 20th of a second, I think. So it was great to finally get that. And, of course, third place in the state was a huge accomplishment for me.

I wasn't sure what to expect going in. So, like, to be able to do that was really, really validating for me. But then, I mean, yeah, it only makes you hungrier when you get third place in a meet like that because, like, yes, third is incredible, but what about second? What about first?

And then this past year, I got second twice. So I'm still like the Latrell who beat me twice has graduated since then. But I mean, I will definitely be going in with some fire under me to try and win that meet these next year. You know, between that 600 record, the some 150, two state medals and trying to get to that first spot.

Junior year was obviously the year that people around here started to remember the name, Thomas Sadowski. I mean, you had enough record breaking for it to happen. How did that kind of attention off of I'm a student athlete to athlete student really feel? And was it an uncomfortable shift or was it just something that came with the job?

I don't think it was uncomfortable at all. I mean, it's a very gradual thing, especially for track where it's not a sport. Like we talked about football, basketball, like they get a lot of attention and there's nothing wrong with that. They're exciting sports to watch.

I go to football games. I go to basketball games. I understand like that makes perfect sense so I will say like even probably the best track and field athletes in the country are not going to be getting the same level of attention as like football or basketball stars and I kind of like I almost enjoy that because I feel like it's easier to focus when you're not being distracted by the by like fame or like you're you're not popularity is not like your main goal your main goal is to get better and I think along with that there comes a little bit of popularity, especially among people who do the same event as you. Like I'll be at meets and I'll have people come up and say, oh, are you the sub 150 guy?

And I mean, that's like, that definitely feels good to have someone ask you that because it's like, oh, wow, like people know who I am. But at the same time, it also kind of distracts you a little bit. And I think I'm very much goal oriented when I'm running. So to be able to focus on that, like as my main priority is a big thing for me. now shifting to the classroom because you know it's obviously not not slacking in there either you know i have no doubt saying you one of the smartest kids i ever met but i was wondering like how do you personally define smart and has that definition have anything to do with grades for you Or is there other things that go into it Wow I think there's a lot of things that go into it.

I would say grades are definitely not the biggest thing, but they do have an impact because they kind of demonstrate how your abilities retain information and apply it. but you know I would say some of the like big parts of being smart for me would be like the ability to problem solve to like work things out on the fly another one would be like geez yeah yeah so problem solving like ability to use information that you've done and then like kind of being observant almost like the like if you notice things and you're able to to use that information later that's something that has always been a hallmark of people that I've considered smart. You know, we're in our fourth year. So we're kind of the last, last grouping of classes that we'll take at university school. Who's been your favorite teacher at US?

You know, definitely a lot more alive a question, but favorite teacher at US, maybe even favorite class at US or just something that you would just recommend to some of the underclassmen? Yeah, I would say there's a couple different answers for this one. I would say favorite teacher probably dr fallon i mean he's hilarious so his class is always uh is always a lot of fun and to add to that like he makes you he really teaches well and his like his style of quizzes and essays like that kind of forces you to understand what you're reading which i think helps um another teacher that i would give a i'd give a shout out to would be dr yoder i had him freshman year uh in history with jack and um like his class was probably one of the hardest i've taken so far at US, but again, like that really forces you to understand what you're talking about. And I think that really helped.

And then just recently, Dr. Goethe was my senior speech advisor, and he definitely, he helped take some of the pressure off of me for going so soon. And I think he was a big reason why it came out, like in a way that I think was pretty polished. What do you enjoy most?

Like what subject? I mean, when you excel at most things that you do, Like, are there things that you actually, you know, obviously being good at something and enjoying it are two different things. So what are some things that you really enjoy? I would say I definitely am more of like a STEM person.

So like science, technology, like math. So, I mean, I'm looking into majoring in engineering in college, and I think that's a big part of that. Yeah, I've always enjoyed math classes. So it seems it's made sense logically in my head for me.

Whereas a lot of like English and history, you kind of just have to accept this is how it is. And like you can use that information. But with math, like there's a real foundation of why, why something works the way it does. And then that foundation is like continually applied the more you go into it.

Now, let's talk about imagining maybe your very last high school race. So wherever, whenever it ends up happening, what do you want that last moment to really feel like? Who do you want sitting at the finish? I mean, what is that going to look like in the end?

I mean, as like an early prediction, I would say it's most likely going to be New Balance outdoor nationals. So that'll be at the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Field June next year. Ideally, that ends with me kind of crossing the line in first and winning a national championship. And I think I've set myself up well to do that.

I was the top junior last year. so you know if it if you take all the seniors for last year out of the equation technically I like I was the highest ranked junior but I think there's a lot of things that go into it like people get better so I can't go in just assuming that I'm going to win and so I think that's going to be a big part of it it's like how well can I prepare you know having the confidence of being that top junior but also having the confidence of having trained and having like being fully ready for it And I think, you know, when I cross that line, regardless of what place or who's there, like, I'm going to feel accomplished because I know that I've put in the work and I know that I'll be proud of whatever I can do. You know, let's talk about your logical, obviously, next step in kind of the whole path, which is recruiting. So obviously, I've never been a part of it. And for many listeners who have never been a part of that, how does that process work for, you know, a runner compared to some crazy D1 football commit that you see or a lacrosse recruit? and where do things stand for you right now?

I mean, I would say it's definitely a lot more individualized. Like with a star football recruit or like a star basketball recruit, like you mentioned, like I would assume, I've never been a part of that obviously, so I wouldn't know for sure, but I would assume there's a lot of coaches reaching out to you and like you're on their radar before they're on your radar. And I think for track, it's kind of the opposite of that. Like I sent probably, I sent emails to probably 100 schools when I started the recruiting process because that's just how it works.

And I didn't get emails back from probably half of them. So it really depends on what schools are looking for your event group, what coaches check their emails, what coaches are looking to recruit you if you're fast enough, if you fit their team culture, things like that. So you have to really come across in an email as someone that they want. And if you can do that, then maybe they start talking about academics.

So like they'll give you a pre-read to see if you would be an admittable candidate to their school. And then finally, the last step, which is kind of where I'm at right now, is taking official visits. So this has definitely been like a busy time in my life. I think almost every weekend for the next couple and the last couple I been at a different college like in a different part of the country like seeing if I like the team if I fit in there if the classes are the right type for me And so like it's definitely individual.

Like it's a lot of it is on you to figure out what you want to do and like where you want to be and to reach out to coaches on your own because that shows them that you are like someone who can advocate for themselves and who is like a good fit for a college. um so that and that's how i would say it's different i mean i think it's more so like are you reaching out or are they reaching out and you know obviously running is a very mental sport when you look back at it like what are some lessons you've learned and maybe take us into like what's going through your mind when you're running like is your mind just racing or is it something that kind of calms you yeah so a lot of the lessons we've learned are kind of like core tenets of our team were introduced by one of our past coaches like he's he always used acronyms for things so like nrt which was next right thing or e plus r equals o which is event plus response equals outcome things like that which kind of give you mental frameworks to to look at things with those have been a big help for me i think that that kind of has enabled me to understand what what's happening and also like take it in without getting overwhelmed and then like you said during races I honestly I'm frankly not thinking much of anything I'm kind of just like focused on the guy in front of me or you know the the time goal or anything like that like I kind of zone out I'm not necessarily I don't necessarily have a lot of thoughts running through my head other than just like I have to go like I have to run now looking back at freshman Thomas walking into the upper school what would he think of the senior sitting here right now you know proud shocked a little nervous about about next steps i i think all the above honestly i i would hope that uh past me would be proud of where i am i think i definitely would be um i think i'd be a little surprised because i like coming in i had no idea that i was going to be this successful at track or school or anything right but and then i think again like nerves like you said like i've done well so far i think it's fair to say that but i also like there's another year to go so we have indoor indoor track outdoor track anything can happen it's like a i think it's a it'd be a fallacy to um to assume that anything's like a foregone conclusion i think it's it's going to be dependent on hard work and you know staying dedicated and disciplined so when you think about your legacy at university school obviously track is a special type of legacy due to the fact that these records stand arguably a lot longer than some of the other records in these sports stand. So when you come back 10, 15 years from now, and either hopefully that record's broken or your record still stands up on that board, what do you think, what do you hope that guys talk about Thomas Adesky years from here? And what year do you kind of see yourself in 10 years? I mean, selfishly, I kind of hope those records stay out there for a little while, but you know, it would be, it'd be awesome if they get broken like I've always been I hope people have viewed me like this but I think in my head I've always been someone who's very like team oriented even in an individual sport like I really care I really buy into like how the team does it's like we'll run relays and I'll be part of that even when you know people ask me like oh why aren't you running an individual event why are you running a relay and I'm like well I want to see my friends succeed I want to help them succeed I want my team to succeed and I think that's something that I would really like to have as part of my legacy and I hope people have seen that.

I think I've tried to do my best to like make it, make that obvious that I really care about everybody else. And I'm not just someone who's like, I'm going to do the best that I can do in my events. And like, you know, good luck to the rest of you. Like, I don't want to be that person.

I want to be a good leader at the same time as a good performer. So, you know, I hope in 10 years, this has been something that's set me up well for life where I can be a good leader, but at the same time as someone who can get things done and you can be successful on his own. Well, Thomas, this is a question that we always end on. You know, you walked into this upper school new, took an 800 that started around 219 from what I can find and chipped it to 149.

You broke a 15-year-old state record in the 600, then how to figure out what to do with losing a state title by less than a second. But through all of it, you've kept easing the building full of guys who are trying to do the exact same thing. So when the alarm goes before a workout or you're staring down a hard test after a long practice, what is your why? What gets you out of bed in the morning, kind of keeps you going?

I think, you know, I mentioned this earlier. I think I'm a very goal-oriented person. And so, you know, I get my mind set on something. It's hard for me to come away from that.

It's hard for me to ignore that. And so I think that's a big part of it. And, again, I also mentioned the team aspect, I think, at least in terms of track. Like my success is not just helping me.

It's helping everybody around me and everybody that shows up to workouts every day, who shows up to practice. Like I'm doing this for those guys as much as I'm doing it for me. And I think that is a big part of why I do it. I think the ability that I have to be successful, not just for myself, but for other people has been huge for me.

And I think it'll continue to be huge for me in college and even past that. Well, Thomas, it's been great having you on the show today. Thank you so much for taking the time to share all your stories and experiences with us. To our listeners, thank you so much for tuning in.

And we'll hope you join us next Wednesday for another episode of Late Start Show. Thank you, Thomas. Thank you.