Logan Rogersville's Gunnar Allison completes a throw in the shot put.
Parents' Names: Chris and Claudia Allison
Coach's name: Chris Allison and Doug Smith
Other sports participating in: (none senior year), football and basketball for three years.
Career accomplishments thus far: 3-times All-state finisher in the discus throw, state champion in the discus throw sophomore year, runner-up state Shot put sophomore year, runner-up disc junior year, 5-time district champ (shot/disc combined), 4-time conference champ (shot/disc combined)
Favorite Event: I normally tell people that whichever event I did best at on that particular day is my favorite, but if I had to choose, discus has always seemed more fun.
Most memorable moment thus far in your high school career: Winning the state discus title my sophomore year.
Favorite workout: Hands down it would have to be "hang cleans" - or any type of Olympic lifting
Future plans: Study engineering and continue my track and field career at Harvard University
Advice to freshmen athletes: Set goals and stay the course. In your four years of high school, you will encounter numerous individuals who don't want to see you have success. Surround yourself with like-minded individuals who work just as hard if not harder than you. With that all being said, have fun. If you don't love your life or the stuff that you do, change it.
Goals for the Outdoor Season: Knowing that this is my last season, I want to make the best of it and give everything that I have. The past three years have taught me so much about this sport, and I want to use that wisdom in my approach at every practice and track meet. For this coming outdoor season, I don't have a specific number in mind for either event. My goal is to have better technique and speed in every throw, and to improve on whatever my last performance was.
How have you made a positive impact on your sport? I think that my personal accolades and overall dedication to the sport of track and field has shown not only to my teammates but to my school that track and field is more than just an off-season sport. It is a time-honored sporting event that turns athletes into true competitors. In addition, I try to help my teammates as much as possible when they have questions about the technique of the throws. I am far from being an expert on technique, but I do my best to communicate to fellow athletes what I do know.
How do you want your high school career to be remembered? For me, the most important parts about track and field are the relationships that I build with others through the sport. Throwing shot put and discus is important to me, but I value having character and being a competitor. For that reason, I want to be remembered for being humble in both victory and defeat. When the tension is high during the competition, I want to be the thrower seen smiling and having fun. As I exercise these characteristics along with many others, my goal is to set a good example for younger athletes.
Final thoughts: Gunnar comes into the Outdoor Track season as the second ranked thrower in both the Shot Put (57'1") and the Discus (177'8"). The future Harvard Crimson athlete will be in the mix to vie for the state title in both events in 2016. The name Gunnar makes one think of raw strength and power which is fitting for the Shot Put and Discus. Obviously, by reading Gunnar's answers, he is more than just brawn. We wish Gunnar much success in his future at Logan-Rogersville and at Harvard University.