By Ken Hansard

Recently, VYPE had the privilege to talk to and find out more about Goddard High School athlete Nathan Harkman.

VYPE: What are your personal goals for the year? 
Harkman: My personal goal is to get the team to state. It’s been a few years since we’ve been there, so to be able to make it in my final year would be amazing.

VYPE: What is the most fun you have had in the last year? 
Harkman: The most fun I’ve had in the last year would probably be when my family and I went to Colorado Springs for my birthday. We went on lots of hikes, including the Manitou Incline. We also took an ATV ride through the mountains, and it was amazing!

VYPE: Who is your favorite teacher from any grade, and why?
Harkman: My favorite teacher is definitely Mr. Rehse, my junior AP US History teacher. His teaching style is so different, involving, and interesting. The coursework was hard and time consuming, but it never felt like a difficult class, thanks to Mr. Rehse.

VYPE: What is your favorite athletic memory? 
Harkman: My favorite athletic memory is of the Wellington JV meet my freshman year. It was right in the middle of all the Covid restrictions. We ended up doing a staggered start, half the runners starting and then the rest of us starting a minute or so after. I ran a really good race and placed third. What sticks with me though is that the second place finisher ran in the first group, and I ran in the second, and he ended up beating me by only half a second.

VYPE: What teammate has left the biggest impression on you and why? 
Harkman: The teammate that has left the biggest impact on me is Luke Griffith. He is a grade below me and has always been a target for me to beat in a race. We’ve always had a sort of friendly rivalry, but he’s always been someone I have pushed myself to beat.

VYPE: What is your favorite part of being on this team? 
Harkman: My favorite part of being on this team is the camaraderie that we all have. We’re all friends, we all hang out, we all cheer each other on, and we all have fun. It’s unlike anything I’ve had before, and I’m really enjoying it all.

VYPE: You can pick any place for a summer vacation. Where do you go, and who do you take with you? 
Harkman: I would choose to go to Alaska and just go explore it by myself. Alaska just seems so beautiful, and it’s a place I’ve always wanted to go to.

VYPE: If we gave you $5000 and you had to spend it in the next 24 hours, what would you spend it on? 
Harkman: I would use the $5000 on a laptop and other supplies to help me prepare for college, since that isn’t cheap.

VYPE:  What other sports, activities, or community service projects do you participate in, and how have these helped to prepare you for the future?  
Harkman: Other activities I have participated in are Track and Field, Band, National Honor Society, and Tri-M. They have helped me prepare for my future by contributing to the community, working together with large groups, and giving my all to whatever it is I am doing.