Feature: Manalapan's Clay Stevens Ready To Rock The Trails

NJ MileSplit recently caught up with Stevens in between his summer workouts to get his thoughts on the upcoming season. Stevens, the perfect example of a team first guy, talked about the huge goals that his team has for the season and his own personal goals, how his mom got him into running, the people who have insipred him on his way to stardom, his journey to become one of the state's best distance runners, his summer training,  and much more.

NJM: How is your summer training going? I know you've been cranking out big miles and building a strong base? How many miles a week have you been running, and where have you mostly been running/training? What is a normal week of training like for you this summer?

Summer training has been going amazingly so far for me. Right now, I'm working up to the 60-65 mile range feeling great along the way. The majority of my miles this summer have been run at the Monmouth Battlefield which is only a mile away from Manalapan HS. The park has countless hilly, grass trails making it great for XC training. An average week of my training this summer has consisted of 8-9 runs with Holmdel on Monday, a workout on Wednesday,  long runs on Saturday, and the rest being nice medium mileage. On top of that I also have a strength and core routine I do.

Have you attended a Running Camp this summer, or are you planning to attend one next week? If so, which camp and how do you feel that helps you prepare for the upcoming season?

Yes, I attended a running camp in the first two weeks of July that is run by Gone Running, a youth track club I've helped/been a part of for a while. The camp was hosted at the Manalapan Recreation Center and was a daily 2 hour practice. As a team we always attend this every year and it becomes the start of our summer training. It does a really good job at setting the foundation for what's yet to come whether it's building early season miles or building a mindset for the training that is to come.

After running 15:37 and placing second at the Meet of Champions last November, winning the Monmouth County and Central Jersey championships and running under 16 at Bowdoin last year, I know you have some huge goals for this season! What are your biggest goals? I know winning M of C's and making it to Nike Nationals must be on top of your wish list!!

Last season for me was great, serving as a good stepping stone into senior year with all the lessons I learned. Winning MOC and making NXN are definitely some of my top goals, especially after falling short of NXN at NXR last year. I also would like to try and get close to All American at NXN if I make it. One other goal I also have is to win an individual group title after being close last season. Besides personal goals, my teammates and I also have massive team goals since most of us are now seniors. Some of our biggest goals include winning a sectional title again as well as potentially a group title. It won't be easy but during cross country you just have to be tougher than the teams around you and have confidence which we have a lot of right now.

Every runner who laces up a pair of spikes in New Jersey dreams of winning the Meet of Champions title and only one runner from Manalapan has ever won it. So would it mean to you to cross the finish line first in that race and how motivated are you to win that title. I'm sure it's something you think about all the time when you're on your long runs.

Winning Meet of Champions is definitely the greatest honor a distance runner in NJ can achieve. Winning it means you truly are the best in the state without debate. In my opinion, more states should start having an overall state championship to determine a true overall state champion. For me it would mean everything to cross the line first, joining a Manalapan legend like Tom Fischer, and accomplishing something I didn't even dream of 3 years ago. On top of that it would mean even more for my team to do extremely well at MOC. I've been running with most of my teammates for 4+ years now  and we always discussed what's possible. Going into this season my team and I have the most motivation we've ever had to compete at the highest level as there's so much that's still possible and with it being most of ours last year in HS we're truly giving it everything we have.

What kind of times are you targeting for Holmdel, Ocean County Park and Bowdoin this year? You certainly have the potential to drop some huge bombs on those courses!!!!

I never really think too much about time during cross country but some of my time goals I'd like to be capable of include low 15s at Holmdel, 15:40s-15:30s at Bowdoin and 14:30s-14:40s at Ocean County Park. However,  at the end of the day my biggest priority over fast times is winning, especially during cross country with every course being so different. That's what makes XC so special. There's just so much more strategy involved compared to in track.

NJ is obviously loaded with amazing distance running talent. What are your thoughts on the amount of talent in NJ and how does that push you and motivate you even more in your training?

NJ is definitely in the top 5 among all states when it comes to distance running in my opinion, both on the boys and girls side. The depth of talent NJ has is just unmatched, both individual and team wise. There's just so many teams with such strong scoring 5s that it makes the team race just as competitive and interesting as the individual race. It becomes very motivating for me during training as in my head I know everyone else is working just as hard and you never know who could be coming up the ranks next. The depth of talent also makes winning a race like MOC that much more impressive since you're competing against the best of the best from all across a really competitive state. 

Where and when will you be running your first cross-country race this season?

I don't know exactly where I will be running first, but I do know one of my first major races will be the Bowdoin Park Classic at the end of September.

How about the rest of your XC season? What does your schedule look like? Will you be running at the Shore Coaches Invit. at Holmdel Park, the Manhattan Invit. in New York, the Foot Locker or Nike Northeast Regional Championships?

My early-mid season schedule isn't fully planned out yet but one thing that is certain is I will be returning to Nike Northeast Regionals in an attempt to make Nike Cross Nationals.

What is the story behind how you became a runner? When did you first start running, and how did this whole thing happen?

It started when I was in elementary school. My mom used to run half marathons so I would travel with her to different places such as Key West, Florida or Savannah, Georgia and run the 5ks that they had. I still played soccer at the time, however, and didn't fully get into running until around 5th grade when I quit soccer.  While looking for a new sport, my mom had me try track. I started by joining Gone Running which is a youth running program run by one of my longtime coaches, Bob Andrews, who still has a part in my coaching currently. From there I just fell in love with the sport and stuck with it. Note-Bob Andrews is the father of NJ legend Robby Andrews, a U.S. Olympian in the 1,500 in 2016 and a 2009 graduate of Manalapan.  

Who has inspired you the most during your distance running career and how have they done so? 

I have had many inspirations over the course of my running career but the ones who have inspired me the most are Coach Andrews and Coach Brian Prendergast. They have both pushed me to do big things, especially over the past year and a half, and they just have so much knowledge combined surrounding the sport. I'm always learning something new from them both. Besides them I'd also say my family is a pretty big inspiration as they are always doing everything they can to support me during training and at meets whether it's rides or supplying snacks/nutrition at a meet. Seeing them do stuff like that pushes me to run faster not just for myself but for them.

When was your first big breakthrough moment when you began to realize that you could do big things in this sport?

I had a couple moments my freshman year that showed me I may have big things waiting for me, however my biggest breakthrough I feel came during my sophomore cross country season where I was able to break 16 at groups and go on to place 8th at MOC. Those two races really showed me I could do really big things moving forward that I never would have thought of doing before.

What do you consider the best race you've ever run and why?

I think my best race I ever ran had to be either cross country Sectionals my sophomore year or Shore Conference Championships from this past cross country season. In both races I just executed what I wanted to do really well whether it was going 1-2 with my teammate at sectionals or breaking 15 at Ocean County Park.

What do you love the most about being a distance runner, and what do you love the most about running in N.J.?

My favorite thing about distance running is it's one of those things where as long as you're consistent and willing to train you can become really good at it. For example if you're fully locked in you'll be good but if you're only giving a half-effort you won't see growth and improvement. It's very different compared to other sports where you need more natural skill or size. My favorite thing about running in NJ is the huge variety in places to run. You can either go run at the beach on the boardwalk or go to a nice hilly trail if you wanted to. There's just so many interesting and fun trails all over NJ.

Who is your favorite track and field athlete and why?

Right now I'd have to say my favorite athlete is Grant Fisher. The things he's done over the past year are crazy to watch. I also just really like his racing style. He always has a strong finish even against 1500m runners that may have way more speed then him, especially in the Millrose games 3000m this year when he went head to head with Cole Hocker. I'd also say another one of my favorites right now is Conner Mantz. He's slowly bringing the American marathon scene to light and the things he's able to do in some of his workouts are just ridiculous.

What's your biggest long-term goal as a track and field athlete?

My long term goal in track and field is to take the sport as far as I can and compete to the highest level possible that I can. Even when I'm in my 30s or 40s I'll probably still try my best to run and compete in races no matter the level of competition.

When you are not running/training, in school or doing schoolwork, what other interests/hobbies do you have? I know you have some other talents/skills!

Some other interests and hobbies I have are music, golfing and watching pro sports. I'm a pretty big music fan with a taste for a wide variety of genres, a growing vinyl collection and a record player. Some of my favorite artists and bands right now are Jeff Buckley, Kenderick Lamar, Mac Miller, Tyler The Creator, Alice In Chains and The Smashing Pumpkins. I also like to play golf here and there with my teammates. I may not be very good but I've been trying to get better and it's perfect to play on an off or easy day. Finally I love watching the NFL in the fall/winter and following the NBA during the playoffs. 

How about colleges, Clay. Have you lined up any official visits yet? If so, where? 

I have a few colleges I've been talking to and have a couple of official visits being planned/already planned. 

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In 10 years from now I see myself working some sort of  job involving chemical engineering, as that is what I want to pursue in college. I also see myself still being active with running whether as a coach or still competing.