LebCo Athlete of the Week: Thadeous Gilbert

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Thadeous Gilbert

During the week of April 13th, Thadeous Gilbert put together the kind of stretch that showed just how far he has come during his senior season for Lebanon Track & Field.

The senior middle-distance runner turned in a week to remember by joining the sub-2:00 club in the 800m. Gilbert placed 2nd at McCaskey earlier in the week with a 1:59.0, then followed that by finishing 4th in the 800m at Saturday’s Blue Jay Invitational in 1:59.95. Those efforts earned Gilbert recognition as a LebCo Athlete of the Week.

“My recent performance from last week that earned me this honor was running 1:59.95 in the 800m at the Blue Jay Invitational,” said Gilbert. “Running under 2 minutes for the second time in the 800 felt great. I used this race to continue to improve the way I run the event, and hopefully even faster times will come.”

Gilbert has continued that tremendous senior season in the weeks since. Last Friday night at the Lebanon County Track & Field Championships, he earned a silver medal in the 800m with a time of 1:59.00. In that race, he stayed with Annville-Cleona’s David Moran, the defending AA State Champion, for much of the race before finishing 2nd.

For Gilbert, the goals he has set for himself this season are ambitious, but that is part of what continues to drive him.

“My personal goals for this season are to run a 50 in the 400 and a 1:56 in the 800,” said Gilbert. “These goals may be considered hard to reach, but I always enjoy pushing myself to the fullest extent in this sport. I will continue to work my hardest to ensure I can one day reach these goals.”

Gilbert said he has tried to fit into the team’s goals by doing more than just scoring points on meet days. He has also worked to help push his teammates during practices and workouts.

“I have fit into the overall goals of the team by using my abilities to score as many points as I can for our team, but that is only one small part of my input,” said Gilbert. “I have been able to work with a majority of my teammates during workouts to push them to excel during those workouts and hopefully in their races.”

That leadership has stood out to Lebanon head coach Keith Rolon, who said Gilbert’s growth has been no surprise.

“Thadeous is very coachable and is a workhorse for our program,” said Rolon. “He doesn’t shy away from the challenges that we throw at him in training and on meet days.”

Rolon also pointed to the way Gilbert leads those around him while continuing to unlock more of his own potential.

“He is a great leader who holds his peers accountable, and it is no surprise to see him progress so much this year,” said Rolon. “Arcadia University is getting an athlete that is just scratching the surface of his abilities.”

Gilbert made sure to recognize several people who have helped him along the way, including Coach Rolon, Coach Hershey, and Coach Pearson. He also gave special thanks to his longtime workout partner, Jaeqwan Johnson, saying that having someone to run, compete, and work alongside has played a major role in his success.

Part of what makes Gilbert’s season so impressive is what he has had to overcome. He said that since his freshman year, he has dealt with shin splints and a stress reaction in both shins, an issue that often limited his ability to run consistently. This season, however, after putting significant time into recovery and care, Gilbert said he has been pain-free while continuing to build toward bigger goals.

During his high school career, Gilbert has also put together a strong postseason résumé. He has competed at Leagues for 3 years and has medaled twice. He also competed at Districts as part of Lebanon’s 4x800m relay team and earned a medal there as well.

Outside of track & field, Gilbert also competed in cross country and swam for Lebanon. Looking ahead, he plans to continue his track career at Arcadia University while working to keep lowering his times.

Away from competition, Gilbert said he is usually keeping busy. Whether it is working hard in his advanced classes, taking on leadership roles in clubs, working at his job, helping around the house, or spending time with friends and family, he said he is almost always doing something. He has also been active in Lebanon High School’s musical productions, most recently performing in In the Heights, something he did not let disrupt his early-season training too much.

Athletics also run in the family. Gilbert said his twin sister, Kenidee, has been a key part of Lebanon’s softball team, serving as the varsity catcher since her first year in the sport.

For Gilbert, one of the best parts of sports is the team aspect that comes with it, even in an event as individual as track.

Congratulations to Thadeous on earning LebCo Athlete of the Week honors, and best of luck to him as he continues chasing a big finish to his senior season.

Photos by Eagle Eyed Imagery

LebCo Female Athlete of the Week: Kiersten Powell

Past Winners

Grant Reesor  (Week of 4/6)

Davin Kolter (Week of 3/30)

Brett Wenger (Week of 3/23)

Adrian Gonzalez (Week of 3/9, 3/16)