DaytonDailyNews.com

OXFORD — You might call Pat Sovacool a late bloomer.

At Lakewood St. Ignatius High School he bloomed so late, in fact, that almost nobody at the college level noticed him.

And now, in his next-to-last season of running Miami University track, the junior who has specialized in cross country and the 1,500-meter run has discovered a new best event.

Sovacool will be one of six RedHawks to compete in the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships in Fayetteville, Ark. when he takes a crack at the 5,000-meter run today.

Sovacool, who also qualified for but will not compete in the 1,500 run, will be joined by teammates Michael Veatch (3,000 steeplechase), Dan Beach (hammer throw), Kevin Dwyer (javelin), Travis Brumm (high jump) and Jake Kuhner (pole vault).

This will be Sovacool's third trip to the regionals. He ran the 1,500 in his previous two appearances. He doesn't have fond memories.

"I didn't even qualify for the finals," he said.

Earlier this spring Miami head coach Warren Mandrell made a suggestion to Sovacool.

"This year coach told me let's go to the Penn Relays and knock down a really good 5,000," he said. "I didn't know I could run a sub-14-(minute). When I finished and looked at my time (13 minutes, 56.77 seconds), it was like, whoa, that's really fast."

Sovacool decided to concentrate solely on the 5,000 at regionals.

"In order for me to do both," he explained, "I'd be hard-pressed to make the finals (of the 1,500) and then come back and do the (5,000) that same night. I don't know of anyone who does the double."

Sovacool, who said he has been running distance events since the fourth grade, does have experience in running two grueling races in one day.

"My senior year in high school I ended by placing second at state in the 1,600 and came back and placed third in the 800," he said. "Miami was the only school to offer me a scholarship. Ohio State told me I could walk on.

"At the time it was a little frustrating," Sovacool added. "But looking back, I could see I didn't start hitting my stride until spring of my senior year. I sort of came out of the woodwork ... I was the sort of person who didn't really do the work and just let my talent get me by."

Sovacool changed his attitude at the end of his junior cross country season.

"I was 10th my junior year at the state cross country meet," he said. "Nothing spectacular. That opened my eyes. If I wanted to be as good as I could be, I'd have to train 45-50 miles a week."

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2197 or pconrad@coxohio.com.

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