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Somerville High's Rolim is on the fast track
Winslow Townson for the Globe
Somerville's Andre Rolim rounds the corner during the Division 1 track championships in Andover.
Andre Rolim has never had much of a choice. The Somerville High track standout has always had to learn on the fly.Whether it was the challenging transition from his native Brazil to the United States at the age of 10, or leaving the comfort of the soccer pitch for the uncertainity of running lanes, Rolim has had to get used to crash courses in acclimation. And while Rolim is still fine-tuning his English, his ability as a track athlete is way ahead of schedule.
“He had no intention of running when he came to high school,’’ said Somerville coach Dave Dickerson. “We’ve had really great kids, so I have an idea of what really great kids look like, so I kind of knew. But I didn’t know he’d be this good or this fast.’’
Who could have predicted the success he would achieve as a sophomore? Not even Joseph Abrantes, a former soccer captain, now at Tufts, who encouraged Rolim to run track. He told Dickerson that Rolim was something special.
“I was always sprinting up and down the soccer field,’’ said Rolim, a captain-elect of the Somerville soccer team.
“Joseph saw me and made me sign up for track.’’
Rolim’s father, Marco, excelled in track but suffered a muscle injury before trying out for the Junior Olympics in Brazil. But for Andre, it was a step into uncharted territory.
A freshman at 16, because of his early struggles in learning the language, Rolim knew few of his fellow athletes. But eventually, he bonded with his teammates on the 4 x 400 and 4 x 200 relay teams — Edward Chen, Jermaine Carty, and John Thomas. The trio, along with other members of the team, helped him pick up many of the nuances of running.
“I didn’t know anybody, and those guys really helped,’’ said Rolim. “When they all graduate this year, it’s going to be what I miss the most in track.’’
While he has enjoyed great success with the relay squad (the quartet will run in the nationals the weekend of June 18 in in Greensboro, N.C.), he has made his mark individually as one of the country’s best mid-distance runners.
Last year, he ranked second among freshmen at the indoor nationals with a 50.91 time in the 400 meters. At Saturday’s Division 1 state meet at Andover High, he placed third in the 400 with a school-record time of 49.71 seconds.
“Now there’s nothing left to do in the 400, though I’d like to beat the state record,’’ said Rolim, who was also ranked seventh nationally in the 600 last year.
Next year, Dickerson will stretch him out and have Rolim run the 800, utilizing his mixture of endurance and speed.
“He’s better the longer he goes, but because he’s new to the sport he likes the shorter distances better,’’ said Dickerson, who has been at the helm of the program since 1983. “I think he knows that the longer distance is better for him.’’
Even in the events that he has dominated for two years now, Rolim always feels butterflies in his stomach when he toes up to the starting line. He has learned to supplement his constant after-school practices with mental preparation, clearing his mind and relying on his faith to get him through the race.
“I try to erase everything out of my mind and just run,’’ he said. “I’m kind of religious, and when it comes to running I try to say my prayers when I run, that God carries me through the race, and He does.’’
He also maps out a different strategy for each race.
“I think for the 600, you can follow someone and you have time to go through,’’ said Rolim. “In the 400, you don’t know where they are until you reach the last few meters.
“I always try to go hard, reach the curve, go hard again,’’ he continued. “But once I reach the last 100, I keep going hard. Most people slow down then, but I try to keep the same speed.’’
Dickerson continues to be amazed at Rolim’s natural feel, despite his relative inexperience.
“He’s got a great sense of where to be in a pack, where to break out, where to make a move,’’ he said. “Plus it doesn’t hurt that he’s really, really fast.’’
Rolim’s father, Marco, excelled in track but suffered a muscle injury before trying out for the Junior Olympics in Brazil. But for Andre, it was a step into uncharted territory.
A freshman at 16, because of his early struggles in learning the language, Rolim knew few of his fellow athletes. But eventually, he bonded with his teammates on the 4 x 400 and 4 x 200 relay teams — Edward Chen, Jermaine Carty, and John Thomas. The trio, along with other members of the team, helped him pick up many of the nuances of running.“I didn’t know anybody, and those guys really helped,’’ said Rolim. “When they all graduate this year, it’s going to be what I miss the most in track.’’
While he has enjoyed great success with the relay squad (the quartet will run in the nationals the weekend of June 18 in in Greensboro, N.C.), he has made his mark individually as one of the country’s best mid-distance runners.
Last year, he ranked second among freshmen at the indoor nationals with a 50.91 time in the 400 meters. At Saturday’s Division 1 state meet at Andover High, he placed third in the 400 with a school-record time of 49.71 seconds.
“Now there’s nothing left to do in the 400, though I’d like to beat the state record,’’ said Rolim, who was also ranked seventh nationally in the 600 last year.
Next year, Dickerson will stretch him out and have Rolim run the 800, utilizing his mixture of endurance and speed.
“He’s better the longer he goes, but because he’s new to the sport he likes the shorter distances better,’’ said Dickerson, who has been at the helm of the program since 1983. “I think he knows that the longer distance is better for him.’’
Even in the events that he has dominated for two years now, Rolim always feels butterflies in his stomach when he toes up to the starting line. He has learned to supplement his constant after-school practices with mental preparation, clearing his mind and relying on his faith to get him through the race.
“I try to erase everything out of my mind and just run,’’ he said. “I’m kind of religious, and when it comes to running I try to say my prayers when I run, that God carries me through the race, and He does.’’
He also maps out a different strategy for each race.
“I think for the 600, you can follow someone and you have time to go through,’’ said Rolim. “In the 400, you don’t know where they are until you reach the last few meters.
“I always try to go hard, reach the curve, go hard again,’’ he continued. “But once I reach the last 100, I keep going hard. Most people slow down then, but I try to keep the same speed.’’
Dickerson continues to be amazed at Rolim’s natural feel, despite his relative inexperience.
“He’s got a great sense of where to be in a pack, where to break out, where to make a move,’’ he said. “Plus it doesn’t hurt that he’s really, really fast.’’
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