By admin 
FLAGSTAFF, AZ (AZFamily) — Up in the High Country, there is a runner who takes the runner’s high to a new level. Yohanes Van Meerten is 17 and might be the fastest man in the state.
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He broke the Arizona state record in the 3,200 meters in April and he set a course record at Mt. SAC, running 3 miles in just over 14 minutes.
He only started running competitively in 2024 after watching TV during the Olympic Trials.
“I remember watching Quincy Wilson and thought, ‘He is around my age. I think I should try this out,’” Van Meerten said.
Wilson became the youngest U.S. male track Olympian ever in 2024 at age 16. Similar to Wilson, Yohanes has had an incredible rise at a young age, to the point where he has already inked NIL deals and will run next year at the University of Oregon.
“It is just wild how in two years my life has completely changed with these deals and now I get to go to college for free which is so big for my family,” Van Meerten said.
For him, a race is unique, and there is no real game plan when he hits the track. It’s all about instincts.
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“When I reach flow state, it’s when I really am not overthinking things. It’s not about when I should make a move. I am just running and the moves come naturally,” Van Meerten said.
For every runner, the biggest stage comes every four years. With the Olympics in 2028 just hours away from his hometown, Yohanes said, if he keeps doing what he is doing, he could see himself there.
“You know it’s all God’s plan and I am just going to keep doing what I can to get better and keep training to make that a reality hopefully,” Van Meerten said.
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