Matt Pantalone, a junior on the Pennridge High School track and field team, follows the same pre-meet routine every time he gets ready to compete. Matt will stretch, check his spikes, and take a few laps of an easy jog before the rest of the team begins their official warm-up session. One of Matt’s teammates said, “he brings a sense of calm to our group,” and he added that “He likes to get here early so he can lock in and feel good.”
As a member of the Pennridge High School track and field team, Matt competes in both middle- and long-distance events. Some of his personal bests are a 5:06.39 in the 1600m and a 10:43.29 in the 3200m. Matt has consistently improved his times throughout his career because he does more miles on the road than most of his teammates do on the track. He believes the additional miles he runs gives him an edge over many other competitors.
Matt has been involved in sports since he was a young child. As part of the Green Jackets’ 10U football team, Matt learned discipline as he went through long practices. His brother, Mason Pantalone, is also on the cross-country team. This was a big inspiration for him. Matt believes those early years also gave him the confidence to be consistent and perform well. When he got into high school, he switched from playing football to competing in track and cross country, and he finally found a routine he could connect with.
At the meets, Matt demonstrates his strengths by staying patient early in the race and waiting until the right time to start picking up speed. Last spring, Matt cut a large amount of time off his 3200m time and made it into the varsity group. Matt’s teammate said, “he never freaks out and loses control”, and he always concentrates.”
Matt lives in the Pennridge area, which is why he was able to watch older runners compete at meets before he began competing on the Pennridge High School track and field team. Matt’s family supports his decision to stay after school for practice each day, and his family also supports the long hours of competition that often extend even later than expected.
Away from the track, Matt has been working on the little things. He lifts weights to develop the strength needed for strong finishes. He watches videos of himself running in order to make sure he is using proper form, and he attempts to keep his stride as smooth as possible. Matt’s teammate described him as “quiet,” and he continued to say, “he always seems to be putting in effort, but he doesn’t talk much about it.”
During Matt’s high school years so far, he has had several setbacks. In his first year of competing, he experienced heavy mileage that left him extremely fatigued. He adjusted to this problem by incorporating more recovery days and establishing a better sleep schedule. Matt said, “Those were some of my worst experiences ever, but that experience helped me learn how to train smarter.” During his second year of competing, he experienced another setback when his times stopped dropping. Matt remained patient and concentrated on his pacing drills. After remaining patient and focusing on the drills, he started to improve again.
In addition to helping his team win by competing well in his own events, Matt also provides support to his teammates in ways other than his performances in the individual competitions. He explained the team’s warm-ups to the new members of the team and encouraged his teammates during practice.
Matt’s goals are very straightforward and specific. He wants to break the five-minute barrier in the 1600m and run sub 10:30 in the 3200m. He wants to continue to improve his strength and remain consistent throughout the season. Matt also plans to compete in track and cross-country in college and study business.
When people watch Matt run, they see a competitor who understands pacing. When people train with Matt, they see a person who competes against himself and pushes himself quietly. The progress he makes is due to the small incremental improvements, the steady effort, and the patience he shows when things get hard.
