Corbin Lovins of Seymour says a lot of things go into being a fast and successful hurdler in high school.
“First, you have to get your steps down,” Lovins said. “What I do is I feel like I’m just doing an extended stride. I go up and I have to bring my back foot up and make sure it’s high enough. I can’t relax because due to my size I’d hit the hurdle right away, so I just strike over it.”
He said he alternates his lead leg during races.
“I’m not the fastest so it helps for me to be able to lead with both legs because if you three-step or five-step you’re going to go off the same foot every time,” Lovins said. “If you mess up your steps you’re not used to going off that other foot, so you could easily mess up your time and lose a race doing that.
“So I feel if you want to be successful you should work to go to the lowest steps possible, also work on being able to switch legs, and that’s big in the 300.”
The senior began running low hurdles in seventh grade.
“When I came into high school I was 5-foot-5 and those high hurdles are 39 inches, so I didn’t run those my freshman year, but I ran the low hurdles,” Lovins said.
Lovins began running the highs his sophomore year and said his best time is a 15.8 he ran at Brownstown.
He said he tried running middle distance but didn’t feel comfortable doing that.
“I found longer distance was a little bit too much so I stuck with something that could use endurance, but wasn’t solely on speed, so that’s why I went into hurdles, and I felt like it was a more successful thing for me,” Lovins said.
“I had a family member run hurdles at one time, and he said he liked them so I tried the hurdles and I loved them. I wouldn’t settle for second-best so I tried to work on my form.”
Before races, Lovins focuses on the upcoming task.
“I always close my eyes and go into my own little state,” Lovins said. “As soon as you hear that gun, you’ve kind of got to have an explosion and be the first one out. I like to have a couple seconds to get my bearings.
“There are a lot of factors in the lows that you’ve got to think about. The biggest one is when you come up to a hurdle they’re 30 meters apart. You’ve kind of got to think as you’re running up to it, how far is that hurdle away, how many strides? You don’t want to stutter, you don’t want to over-extend. If you over-extend you could jump a little high.”
His best time in the 300 hurdles is 41.8, and he said his goal is to be the Hoosier Hills Conference champion in the event.
Lovins said he also looks forward to running in the 1,600 relay.
“I like to lead off because I want to set a strong pace for my team, and I like to motivate them at the end,” Lovins said. “I’d like to run a 58 or 59 (seconds lap).”
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Name: Corbin Lovins
Parents: Adam and Brenda Lovins
Siblings: Alex, Alivia
Sports: track and field 4 years, football 2 years
Organizations: The nest for school outreach
Plans after high school: attend Purdue University Polytechnic Center
Favorite food: peanut butter and jelly
Favorite TV show: Sports center, Ridiculousness
Favorite musicians: Drake
Favorite movie: Fast and Furious
Favorite athlete, team: Dwayne Wade, Indianapolis Colts
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Q: What’s it like attending SHS?
A: “It’s the best school I’ve ever been to. I love it. All the teachers want to work to get you to do your best. There are so many classes to choose from. The internship I’m in now, I work for the Nest, which is a 1-to-1 computer outreach. I can go in there and fix the Chromebooks. It’s been a big motivator for me to go to Purdue Polytechnic Center.”
Q: Is the track team a close bunch?
A: “If you want to be around your friends and you want to work hard: track is the sport for you. I love the home meets. Because I run hurdles I know where my marks are, and what everything should look like, and I love to see the fans cheering us on. When you go to other meets its different hurdles.”
Q: What’s a memory you will never forget from track?
A: “Last year (in the Seymour Invite) I was toward the front in my race, and I kind of fell back a little bit, but in the end I finished third because I passed up three guys. I felt like that was a motivator for me to work the rest of the year.”
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