Christian De Boer has the profile of a champion.
The 18-year-old native of Hopedale, who graduated in June, competed for the Blue Raiders in cross-country and track for a total of 11 varsity seasons. And, during those vigorous campaigns, the 5-foot-7, 130-pounder was a key contributor on squads that compiled 15 championships.
De Boer, who was a captain and a Dual Valley Conference all-star in both sports, was a standout on cross-country teams that won six DVC crowns, six district titles and two state championships. The 15th crown was a DVC title as an eighth-grader in indoor track.
De Boer, however, isn’t a winner just because he knows how to run. He’s a champion because of the way he deals with adversity.
De Boer demonstrated amazing determination when he finished his last cross-country race (the state championship last fall in Gardner) by crawling 70 meters to the finish line after collapsing from dehydration, over-exertion and muscle fatigue. He also has displayed strength and courage in dealing with the unexpected death of his father last February.
“I was running closer to the front of the pack,’’ De Boer said about the state championship meet. “But, my legs started to feel heavy and I felt weak. I fell as I got closer to the finish line. Twice I got up, then stumbled. It was the last race of my cross-country career at Hopedale and I was determined to finish it. So, I crawled about 70 meters to the finish line.’’
De Boer managed to finish 99th in a field of 200 runners in a time of 18 minutes for the three-mile course. Three of Hopedale’s other runners finished 7th, 15th and 30th, giving the Blue Raiders their second state championship in the last three years.
“When I crossed the finish line, I was just happy it was over,’’ De Boer recalled. “I was trying to catch my breath. EMTs tended to me and I was taken to a hospital in Gardner.’’
While in the hospital, De Boer’s parents (Laurel and Arthur) visited him hours after the race. Three months later, De Boer’s father passed away at the age of 58.
“It was difficult,’’ De Boer said. “He was my role model, along with my mom. He was interested in my career and he came to meets whenever possible. He was always supportive and motivating and stressed that to be successful you have to work hard. During outdoor track last spring, I ran the mile and the two-mile and I ran those races in honor of him.’’
De Boer is far from finished with running. During the summer, he’s been training diligently, preparing for his freshman year at Norwich University where he’ll run for the cross-country team. An honor-roll student while at Hopedale, De Boer plans on majoring in criminal justice at the Vermont college and hopes to become a commissioned officer in the military.
“I’ve always wanted to be in the military,’’ De Boer emphasized. “I’ll be involved with ROTC at Norwich, but as far as cross-country and possibly track goes, I know the transition to college athletics will be a challenge. I’ll just work hard to push myself to improve.’’
When De Boer was at Hopedale High, improvement was his calling card.
After a year of junior-varsity cross-country as a seventh-grader, he became the Blue Raiders 8th-ranked runner on the varsity as a Grade 8 student. Later, he surged to the school’s No. 2-ranked runner as a junior.
“One of my best races was as a senior at the Ocean State Invitational, which featured many teams from Rhode Island,’’ De Boer noted. “I finished 16th out of 200 runners in a time of 16:40 for the three miles. And, the team won the meet by 35 points. We knew then that we could have a lot of success and win the state title.’’
De Boer ran only one season of indoor track, taking a breather for what would lead to five years on the outdoor squad. He experienced a DVC championship early on, as an eighth-grader, and his 4:51 time in the mile in the districts was his best effort indoors.
De Boer ran the mile and two-mile outdoors and his 10:33 clocking in the two-mile at the DVC championship meet was his best outing. He finished fourth.
Joe Drugan and Tim Maguire were De Boer’s coaches at Hopedale and he lauds both as terrific motivators. “In cross-country, Mr. Drugan was a great motivator who aimed high for success,’’ De Boer said. “He settled only for your best effort. Mr. Maguire is a distance runner who knows track. He’s also an excellent motivator.’’
De Boer is quick to credit his cross-country teammates who played roles in capturing the 2014 and 2016 state titles. “Brandon Hall, Dave Wollensak, Andrew Doran, Jake Murray, Sam Dykhoff and Colin Black were teammates who were serious about winning,’’ De Boer said. “We were all friends and the group was close-knit and supportive.’’
One of six children, De Boer’s affinity for running started at age 12, thanks to two of his sisters. They ran cross-country at Hopedale. “I liked it immediately because it’s challenging, involves hard work and it’s a high-intensity sport,’’ De Boer said. “To succeed, you have to have endurance, be well-conditioned and mentally tough and know how to pace yourself.’’
Throughout his interscholastic career, De Boer relied on a competitive philosophy of reaching his potential. “I strived to win and I enjoyed each sport,’’ he said. “But, reaching one’s potential, however, is the key for success.’’
De Boer also understood early in his running career that life lessons can be learned in athletics. Being a captain, he learned how to set goals, how to be a better leader and he learned how to cope with adversity. “Sports help you to work through things,’’ he said.
That’s what De Boer did when he crawled to the finish line last fall in Gardner, and he has dealt with the death of his father in an admirable way.
Christian De Boer has a nice profile. It’s a profile of a courageous champion.
Issue Date:
August, 2017
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