By Rich Winter

605 Sports

MILLER — Miller’s Alex Schumacher has been a staple of the Miller cross-country and track teams.

As a sophomore he was part of the Miller team that won a state cross-country title in 2021. Schumacher has qualified for the state track meet three times and been on the podium at the state cross-country meet three times. 

Even with that success, Schumacher wasn’t sure that he wanted to run in college. His fortunes and his collegiate future changed when long-time Miller track and cross country coach Tom McGough entered Schumacher in the 800-meter run at the 2023 Region 6A track meet.

“I hadn’t been running a lot of 800-meter runs in high school,” Schumacher said. “I think I ran about 2:15 as a freshman and I think my fastest 800-meter run leading up regions was 2:06.”

Schumacher has been more of a 1,600-meter specialist in high school, qualifying for state in that event since his freshman year. Entering the region meet last year Schumacher wasn’t even pre-qualified for state in the 800-meter run but his fortunes and future changed when he crossed the line at 2:01.13.

Schumacher went from not being qualified in the race to finding himself in the fast heat at the state meet.

“Being in that field last year it was hard not to run fast,” Schumacher said. “Coach told me to go hard the last 300 meters and I just kept fighting until the finish.” 

As it turns out, in order to even reach the podium, athletes had to run faster than 1:58.94. Schumacher finished sixth in the race, lowering his personal best to 1:58.28. 

Schumacher has a GPA of 3.8 and visited Augustana University for academic purposes. After the big improvement in the 800-meter run and following his senior season of cross-country, Schumacher made it official when he signed to run track and cross-country for the Vikings.

Schumacher’s first love wasn’t track and field or cross country, it was basketball. A starter for the Miller basketball team since his freshman season, Schumacher earned Big Dakota all-conference honors as a basketball player this year. 

“I guess this year was pretty good in basketball,” he said. “I had a 45-point game, scored over 1,000 points and made the all-conference team,” Schumacher said.

Schumacher finished 15th in the 1,600-meter run at the 2023 state meet 4:35. Entering his senior season Schumacher’s personal best in the 1,600-meter run was 4:31. He opened his indoor season running 4:32.80 to finish second in the mile run at the Mount Marty invitational on March 21. 

Schumacher attributes the quick start to his season to the interval training of coach McGough.

“I’ve known him since the sixth grade and I’ve always liked him and trusted him,” Schumacher said. 

McGough has been coaching in Miller for about 40 years and has cultivated some talented runners like Paul Saville, Jesse Vrooman and anyone with the last name of Peterka. 

All of those runners and Schumacher have looked at the Rustlers record book and wondered who this Rick Nissen fella was that holds the school records in the 800-meter run (1:57.92) and the 1,600-meter run (4:19). 

Schumacher feels like it would be tough to approach the record in the 1,600-meter run.

“I feel like with my experience and with the right training that I could run in the low 4:20s this season,” he said. 

Having come close to the 800-meter record a year ago, Schumacher is dialed in and ready to put in the work it takes to run that fast.

Schumacher said he expects to study biology and physical therapy at Augustana. He is a member of Miller’s National Honor Society and their chapter of the Future Farmers of America.