John Coyle’s leadership, determination run deep

There’s John Coyle the author. There’s the John Coyle line of furniture. There’s John Coyle the Wall Street financier.

There’s John Coyle the artist. There’s John Coyle the boxing referee. There’s John Coyle the urologist. And there’s the John Coyle Equation, a band.

Do a Google search and the references to hundreds upon hundreds of John Coyles are exhaustive.

Included in the list is John Coyle, the standout long-distance runner at Lake City High School.

The latter John Coyle even knows of a John Coyle who was a high placer at a Footlocker national race about two decades ago.

John Coyle of LC is the fourth John Coyle in his family tree. It started with his great-grandfather.

The youngest John Coyle has another last name on his birth certificate – his mother’s maiden name, Hager.

“Because my mom didn’t hyphenate it, I had the option of which one I wanted to go by,” Coyle explained. “I didn’t ever like the name John Hager. I didn’t like the sound of it. I’m not a huge fan of Coyle, either, and I don’t like the name John. But I’m sure I’ll name my first son John because I don’t want to drop the ball. I’ll want to continue the legacy. I mean why not. Let’s see how far it goes.”

John Coyle is a big fan of his primary ethnicity, though.

“I do like the fact that I’m Irish,” he said. “There’s a whole holiday for Irish people. I’m a big fan of St. Patrick’s Day.”

That’s just a small glimpse into the ever intriguing personality of John Coyle.

He will have an opportunity to let running pay for some of his college education. But he hasn’t always been a runner – or a good one at that.

It wasn’t until his sophomore year that he discovered that running was probably the activity he was best gifted for.

Like most of his male peers, he played football, baseball and basketball. He also wrestled.

He played on a junior tackle football team three straight years in middle school that lost just one game a year and included several players who would go on to lead LC to a state championship two years ago.

He was cut from the freshman basketball team, the last time he attempted to play the sport. He played baseball his freshman year and was a varsity wrestler as a freshman and sophomore, qualifying for state both years. His father wanted him to continue in the sport, but he wasn’t fond of it and didn’t turnout again after his sophomore year.

For the longest time, though, he saw himself as a baseball player.

“I wanted to be a professional baseball player,” Coyle said. “I played on the freshman team and played American Legion that summer.”

Coyle got hit in the mouth with a baseball that summer, and it required root canals on his two front teeth. He didn’t play baseball again.

He doesn’t remember specifically why he gravitated to cross country at the start of his sophomore year. It may have just been a coincidence that he was running out of sports to try. But he had immediate success. He qualified for state, finishing 13th (the top 20 earn medals at state).

The following spring Coyle turned out for track and had immediate success as well. He took second at state in the 800 meters and fourth in the 1,600.

As a junior, he slipped to 31st at state in cross country during an injury-riddled season, but bounced back in track to capture a state title in the 800 and anchor the winning medley relay. He also finished second in the 1,600.

He came into his senior season hoping to go out with a bang. So far, so good. He took second in state cross country, and he hopes to defend his title in the 800 while challenging for championships in the 1,600 and 3,200 and hoping to help the medley defend its title.

Despite a penchant for individuality – he can’t be missed on the track or cross country course because he’s either wearing his black sunglasses or a white cotton headband – Coyle showed a maturity this year that was lacking previously.

“It was wonderful to watch in cross country,” said Justin Taylor, LC’s cross country coach and an assistant track coach. “He went from being just a competitor to being a competitor and a leader. He was our team captain and he did an outstanding job pulling the team together. It was one of my favorite experiences with him.

“I don’t mean this to be critical, but before this year I would have doubted that he could have been a leader. But it’s something he blossomed into. He stepped up when it counted. He did as well as any captain I’ve had in six years.”

LC track coach Kelly Reed has noticed a difference this year as well.

“He’s definitely a free spirit, and sometimes he drives me crazy,” Reed said. “He’s a much improved leader this year. You can’t knock his natural abilities. He’s very talented.”

Coyle ran his career-best 1,600 last Saturday at the prestigious Pasco Invite, finishing third in 4 minutes, 19.32 seconds. It ranks as the top 5A time in the state and his season-best in the 3,200 (9:40.0) is second behind sophomore teammate C.J. Helbling (9:30.9).

Coyle is being recruited by a handful of schools. He has taken visits to Portland State, Boise State and Weber State. He’ll take two more visits and must decide where among Arizona, Iowa State, Northern Iowa and Northern Arizona.

He will concentrate on the 1,500 and 3,000 steeplechase in college. He won a national title last summer, taking first in the 2,000 steeplechase in the young men’s division at the USATF Junior Olympics in Walnut, Calif.

He’s gone from someone who had a dream of being a pro baseball player to someone who wants to be an Olympian.

“You could ask five different people what they think I’ll be doing in 10 to 15 years and you’ll probably get five different answers,” Coyle said. “I want to be an Olympic runner. I think it’s achievable. I don’t do things half-assed. I think in running you can do anything you want to do if you put the work into it. I’ll never tell anybody that they can’t do something.”

It wouldn’t surprise Taylor if Coyle reaches his goal.

“He has a strong personality,” Taylor said. “He’s willing to do whatever it takes to get something done. There’s not a lazy bone in his body. He’s a true competitor. It takes a certain breed, a certain mentality, to be a distance runner. He’s one of those kids you’ll never forget as a coach. I’ll always remember his determination, and I’d take 10 more like him.”