Former Hahnville distance running star Beau Robinson was a little apprehensive when his track and field coach at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette told him he’d be competing in the steeplechase this season, a competition he had no experience with.
You might say things worked out for the best, though. The Ragin’ Cajuns freshman was recently named to the All-Louisiana Track and Field third team in the 3,000 meter steeplechase after recording a time of 9:26.97 at the Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Track and Field championships.
Robinson entered just three steeplechase events this season — the only three of his lifetime, in fact — but he adapted fast enough to cement himself as one of the best in the state in 2015.
“I was very surprised,” he said. “I had trouble with technique, and honestly I still didn’t have it down in the races. I tap my foot on the (steeples) and I actually slow down when I do that. Once I clean that up, I can better my time.”
Robinson competed in cross country and track and field at Hahnville, but the steeplechase is not offered in Louisiana prep track and field meets. The steeplechase is an obstacle race that includes 28 barriers and seven water jumps.
“I was competing against people who had experience with it in high school, so to have success so soon was pretty exciting,” he said.
Robinson made the All-Louisiana Cross Country second team as well last season.
Coming off of that campaign, he was inserted into the steeplechase mix when track season began.
It wasn’t to his liking at first.
“Oh, I hated it,” Robinson said. “It’s very different, and it hurts a lot more. I told coach I’d try it, but learning how to do it was frustrating for a while.
“But eventually, I really began to love it. I like the 3K distance, and I really started to get into it.”
It takes a lot of work, for sure. Robinson began running after recording a time of six minutes and 30 seconds in the mile as a seventh grader. He was encouraged to join the track and field team upon getting to Hahnville High School, and by his junior year, his coaches began seeing potential.
“That was when I started getting pretty serious about it,” he said.
He stayed serious, earning his way to ULL. He estimates that in high school, he ran around 25 miles a week. By the beginning of this summer, he was up to 58. This week, he said he should wrap up around 96 miles.
“It’s impossible to do this without dedication,” he said. “Injuries are just a part of it. You’re going to deal with them. I start at 5 a.m., go to class at noon, start training again at 2, and by the time I’m done studying, it’ll be around 9 or 10 at night.”
He’s adapted. Robinson earned a 4.0 in the classroom in his last semester. He’s already eying the beginning of cross country season on Sept. 3, where he will compete in the 8K and 10K events this season. In track and field, he will concentrate on the 5K event.
And, of course, the 3K steeplechase, where it appears the sky is the limit.
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