Karson Lewsader
Though he’s known for his colorful clothes and mismatched crocs, Karson Lewsader will now be known for something else. The 6’4 senior recently competed in the Illinois Top Times Indoor State Track Meet on March 25th in Bloomington, Illinois. Lewsader finished seventh in the high jump.
To prepare for the competition, Karson worked hard on learning new elements to approve his abilities at a high jump club in Champaign.
“Throughout the meet, I had no nerves,” Lewsader said. “I let things flow and jumped high. I felt honored to finish seventh in the state.”
Finishing seventh in the state of Illinois is a great accomplishment, but Lewsader sees it differently. “I am not content. These next few months, I’m going to outwork everyone and take home the title for this year’s Outdoor State Champion.”
When he began high school, Lewsader quit track for two years after competing in grades six through eight, where every year he made it to State.
Karson made his return junior year and finished second in the state his first year back.
At the 2021 state meet, Lewsader cleared 6’6, earning second place.
“Even though it doesn’t seem possible, this year I plan to clear 7’1 and take home the title of being the 2022 Illinois State Champion,” Karson told us.
Though he’s focused on being the State Champion, Lewsader has enjoyed his time competing.
“My favorite part of track is eating ‘Yes, No, Maybe’ cookies in the freezing cold,” Karson said. “When I found out that I qualified for Indoor State, I was excited for the opportunity to compete and also getting to skip school.”
After graduation, Karson doesn’t plan to attend college. Instead, he plans to live out his dreams and travel the world, while being an entrepreneur.
“What I will miss the most about track is meeting new people, and of course, the ‘Yes, No, Maybe’ cookies.”
