Records Are Meant to Be Broken

SEATTLE- Records are meant to be broken, but behind every record is a story of hard work, sacrifice and dedication. For many people they see breaking a record as just one good run or game.

For O’Dea football player J’Shaun Wilson and cross-country runner Heath Atrosh, their record-breaking achievements were about much more than one great performance. They were the result of months of work behind the scenes finally paying off.

For Wilson, breaking O’Dea’s single-game touchdown record required a performance he will never forget. After scoring five touchdowns in the first half, he realized the record was within reach. He eventually finished with seven touchdowns and 371 rushing yards, breaking both school records.

However, what made the accomplishment even more special was who witnessed it. The week before, former O’Dea running back and NFL player Myles Gaskin was inducted into the O’Dea Wall of Honor.

Gaskin had previously held the school’s touchdown record, making it even more meaningful for Wilson to break it with former O’Dea greats watching.

“When I realized I had broken it, the first thing that came to my mind was just my name being in the O’Dea record books for a long time,” Wilson said.

After putting in so much work to reach this moment the junior running back is now seeing all the pieces come together. Fans across the state are seeing a special talent breaking out into the running back coaches and teammates saw coming from a mile away.

While Wilson’s record came during one unforgettable game, senior Heath Atrosh’s cross-country achievement was built through months of consistency and hard work. Atrosh broke O’Dea’s 5K record with a time of 15 minutes and 31 seconds, beating the previous record holder Javon Broderick (father of current Freshman Norio Arai) while he watched from the sidelines.

That narrow margin shows just how special the accomplishment was. However, the result was about much more than one race. Balancing running with school and other responsibilities meant sacrificing time during both the summer and winter.

Even on days when he felt tired or unmotivated, Atrosh knew that staying consistent was necessary to keep improving.

“People see the races, but they don’t always see the daily training behind them,” Heath said.

His progress throughout his junior year helped him realize that breaking the record was possible.

For Atrosh, the achievement represents how far he has come in three years of running and how much more he can improve. For both athletes, their records are not simply numbers in a record book. They represent the countless hours of preparation; the sacrifices made along the way and the moment when all that work finally paid off. They look forward to finishing the season strong and winning state.