Salute to Seniors: Louis DiLaurenzio of Raritan HS


Salute To Seniors is a medium for "senior farewells". We wanted to give everyone a chance to salute them one more time as well as invite those seniors to tell their stories from the past four years. We have a number of entries in queue to finish out July and are not looking for anymore, thank you to everyone who submitted. 

What was your most memorable moment?

My most memorable race was the 2018 Group 2 State Championships Outdoor 800m. There were many other fantastic races that I'll forever remember, like the Group 2 State 1600m title in indoor of 2017, but this specific one really stood out to me. Our group was a competitive one, so I knew I needed to give it my all, whatever it took. The race was a fast one, but I managed to take the win with a time of 1:53.50, granting me the title of Group 2 State Champion, advancing me to the Meet of Champions.

Who would you consider your biggest competition over your four years? 

For me, I didn't really care who was on the playing ground and who wasn't. I knew what I needed to do.

What was your greatest accomplishment? 

My greatest accomplishments were breaking both the 1600m indoor school record (4:22.34), as well as the 800m Outdoor record.

If you could do it all over again, what would you change about your high school career? 

If I could've changed anything about my career I probably would have considered running cross country my freshman and sophomore year. I only ran cross for 2 years in high school and had some great accomplishments and memories with my teammates that I'll never forget.

What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?

The most difficult obstacles I had to overcome would probably be the little injuries here and there. But, with the help of my coaches / teammates, I overcame those obstacles and got back into the flow of things.

What will you miss the most?

I will definitely miss my teammates and coaching staff. I don't know what I could have done without all of their help and support. My teammates and I have been through a whole lot together and pushed each other not only to become better runners, but people too. As for the coaches, I've been through a whole lot of memorable times with them that I'm sure they'll remember just as much as I do.

What advice would you give to younger athletes?

I would say to live it up and have fun, because time really does fly by.

What influence has your coach had with respect to your performance and overall life goals?

My coaches have shaped me into a better runner and man altogether. Through the tough workouts and distance runs, they've changed the way I looked at things. They turned me into both a smarter and stronger runner, while sharing laughs here and there. I trusted them and they helped make the outcome phenomenal.

What are your post-high school or college plans?

I will be attending Monmouth University to further my academic and athletic career.

Who would you like to say 'thank you' to?

I want to thank Coach Toscano and all that he's done for me ever since I was a freshman. Coach Landers was always there too, timing workouts and giving advice. My teammates always had my back and we've all shed blood sweat and tears together. Lastly, I'd like to thank Coach Pritchard. This coach of mine had a huge impact on my life and running career. He provided me with the #GUTS mentality and I'll cherish that forever.

Anything else you'd like to add? 

Fly Hawks!