Sammamish runner finishes college All-American
August 6, 2008
By J.B. Wogan
Michael Kilburg competes in U.S. Olympic Trials
Even Michael Kilburg didn’t fathom making Olympic Trials.
Kilburg, a Sammamish resident who attended the University of Portland from 2003 to 2008, finished his college career by setting a school record in the 10,000-meter run.
His time of 28 minutes and 20.57 seconds, recorded at the Stanford Invitational Meet in April, catapulted him into the most prestigious racing event of the summer, save the Olympics itself.
“I had no expectation of qualifying for the Olympic Trials,” Kilburg said. “They weren’t even on my radar.”
Kilburg attended McAuliffe Elementary School before switching to a catholic education track for middle and high school.
Otherwise, he would have studied at Inglewood Junior High and Eastlake High School.
As a senior at O’Dea High School in 2003, Kilburg placed 2nd in the 3200-meter run and 3rd in the state in the 1600 run for the 3A state meet.
“He was kind of a late bloomer really,” said Rob Conner, the head men’s cross country and track coach at the University of Portland.
Connor said Kilburg has been a cornerstone of a formidable track program – the University of Portland has been ranked in the nation’s top 20 for the last three years.
Though Kilburg became one of the Pilots’ top seven runners by his sophomore year, it took another three years to develop into a two-time All-American.
In fact, as a freshman, Kilburg did not make the varsity team.
He redshirted, adding 30 miles of running per week to his practice regimen.
In high school, Kilburg coasted at a mere 35-40 miles of running each week, which he characterized “as saving my body up.”
By his senior year, he jumped to 110-115 practice miles per week.
“It’s been a very slow build up,” Kilburg said. “I’ve learned that good things come slow in distance running.”
A key to his improvement from high school to college was higher level running partners.
“After my sophomore year, I was pretty much training by myself in high school,” Kilburg said.
But in Portland, he had John Moore and David Kinsella. Moore, an All-American in both cross country and track and field, also qualified for the Olympic Trials in the 10,000 run.
“I felt having those two guys helped push me to new heights,” Kilburg said.
“The best way to define Kilburg would be hard work and consistency. He just puts in the work that most people don’t put in,” Moore said.
Roommates as freshmen, Moore and Kilburg shared an interest in music and developed a friendship over their time in college.
Like Kilburg, Moore is a Washington native – he graduated from Olympia High School. His instrument is the saxophone while Kilburg’s is the piano.
Kinsella, Kilburg’s housemate last year and a two-time All-American, said Kilburg’s biggest challenge wasovercoming self-doubt.
“I think he felt people thought he was a workhorse, but he would never break into the next level,” said Kinsella, a Redmond native who graduated from Inglemoor High School.
Addressing the mental component part of running, in Kinsella’s opinion, marked the difference in Kilburg’s final year in college.
“He’d really transformed from someone who was timid to someone who was self-confident in the best way possible,” he said.
In the Olympic Trials meet, held in Eugene, Ore. July 4, Kilburg and Moore finished side-by-side, 20th and 21st in the meet. Kilburg’s time was 29:26.76. Moore’s was 29:26.79.
“Just me knowing that this was my last chance kind of added some pressure to take care of business,” Kilburg said.
With four years before the next Olympic Trials, Kilburg’s goal is to earn a professional running contract.
To do it, he’ll need to break 28 minutes in the 10,000 run, he said.
This fall, he will either train with a racing club or his old college team.
“He’s just improving so rapidly that just another year (of training) might do him some good,” Conner said.
Kilburg admitted that reality has set in as he approaches his post-college plans.
“I was probably a little naïve about how much money professional runners make financially,” Kilburg said. “But it’s my dream, so it’s something I’m going to do, regardless of the money.”
Reporter J.B. Wogan can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 247, or jbwogan@isspress.com.
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