Following a hernia which required surgery in January 2024, Drew Weber returned with a breakthrough performance at May 4's Portland Twilight competition. At the meet, Weber almost broke Western Washington University’s men’s 800-meter record with a time of 1 minute, 49.88 seconds which, at the time, was the 14th best in the nation. The university record is 1:49.34, which is a time that Weber set himself in his 2023 season.
This was not the first time Weber had fought through adversity in his track career. Weber started running for Western during COVID-19 and now, as a fifth-year senior, he's had his collegiate running seasons pushed back due to pandemic restrictions.
Weber qualified this year for the NCAA Division II outdoor national championship running in the men's 800, which marks his third appearance at the outdoor track championship while attending Western. He also made the NCAA D-II indoor championship in the winter this year and was a Second Team All-American. On top of the track & field accomplishments, Weber runs for WWU’s cross-country team.
Drew Weber competing in the men’s 800-meter at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia, on March 23-24, 2024. Weber finished third with a time of 1 minute, 55.32 seconds. // Photo by Vamsi Nadella
Q: When did you start running in track & field and cross-country?
A: I started really in middle school, but at that time people really don’t know if they’re committed to it and are just trying to figure out what to do. I run cross-country, but I’ve always been a track guy. I specialize in the men’s 800-meter or the mile, so I am a medium-distance runner. I got much more serious about it my sophomore year of high school.
Q: What was the scope of your injury this year and what was it like to sit out for part of your senior season?
A: My injury was from overuse. A lot of running [and] training hard took a toll and caught up to me.
The funny thing about track & field, as well as cross-country, is that it is a year-round sport. Sometimes there are things that bother athletes and there is never a good time to address them and sit out. But, the surgery went really well and I’m super thankful to be back.
In terms of recovery it wasn’t as bad as you might think, I was able to start moving my body by the next week following the procedure.
Drew Weber competing in the Bryan Clay invitational in Azusa, Calif., on April 13-15, 2023. Weber competed in the men’s 800-meter and 1500-meter.
Q: How did it feel to perform as well as you did at Portland Twilight following your procedure?
A: It was really cool. This season has been mentally tough. Having to keep showing up to compete when you don’t perform as well as you hope is hard, but I knew I was ready for it.
Some days you can be ready to run, but for whatever reason, [sometimes] runners aren’t mentally prepared and don’t perform their best. Twilight was big and that was the time that qualified me for nationals. In previous seasons, the 10-week training mark is when I break through, and this season was no different for me.
Q: What was your experience at the GNAC Championships after coming in first in the preliminary race and finishing second in the final for the 800, as well as coming in first place with the 4x400 relay team?
A: GNAC was awesome, I always love that meet. It is a culmination of all the hard work the team has put in. In a lot of meets there is more individual pressure, but our team has a great culture and they always support each other.
Second place in the 800-meter was tough. I wanted to win that one, but being able to come back and win the relay was one of the highlights of college. It was really big for me.
The relay is the last event at the championship, so all eyes were on us, and we pulled through with the win. I thought that was going to be my last race as a Viking, but then, a few days later, I heard I was going to compete at nationals.
Ozzy Konez is a sports and recreation reporter for The Front. He is a third-year Visual Journalism major and a member of the Western Tennis Club. Outside of school, you can find him working at the local tennis club, cooking, hiking or at the student rec center. The best place to contact him is at ozzykonez.thefront@gmail.com.
