New Trier boys track coach Andrew Schmitt’s first impression of Will Landwer didn’t bring to mind his great athletes at Bloom.
Schmitt had coached William Williams, the 2023 U.S. indoor champion in the long jump; Japheth Cato, the 2017 U.S. indoor champion in the heptathlon; long jumper Hannah Morris; and high jumper Jelena Rowe.
So Landwer didn’t really stand out when Schmitt was getting to know everyone in his first year at New Trier.
“You could see the flash,” Schmitt said. “But he was 120 pounds and just another one of 200 kids in the program.”
That’s not true anymore. Statewide, Landwer is one of the best ever.
On May 31, Landwer won the Class 3A state championships in the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes, setting Illinois High School Association records in both, to carry the Trevians to their first team title since 1944 at Eastern Illinois University’s O’Brien Field in Charleston.
“He blew everyone away at state,” Schmitt said. “He made it look easy. It was electric.”
Landwer, a Penn State recruit, opened the finals by winning the 100 in 10.24 seconds, a record time at the state meet. Plainfield North’s Marcellus Moore held the previous record, having won in 10.31 in 2018.
Landwer matched that accomplishment in the 200, finishing in 20.87 to break a record that stood since 1997, when Lake Park’s Anthony Moorman won in 20.89.
“When I crossed the line for the 100, I did lose my mind,” Landwer said. “I had just won a state championship, even with the wind. That was my goal. It was a really fast time regardless of the wind. I didn’t know what to feel. My mindset for the rest of the day was doing anything to win the team title.
“I was worried about the 200. The competition was really good, and everyone was running fast times. But after winning the 100, I went into the 200 knowing I would win. I had built up a lot of confidence and momentum.”
Schmitt took note. He said Landwer, who also ran the anchor leg on the 400 relay team that placed eighth, “believes in himself like no one I’ve seen before.”
“Will has that swagger of being a super athlete,” Schmitt said. “I’ve been fortunate to coach other state champions at Bloom. He has that confidence.”
Landwer’s achievements are particularly impressive given that he wasn’t even a sprinter until a few months ago. He was a hurdler for most of his high school career. Last season, he qualified for the state meet in the 110 hurdles and the 300 hurdles but didn’t get out of the preliminaries.
“I ran the 100 probably one or two times last year,” he said. “I ran the 100 a lot in my freshman year, but I was angling the hurdle route my sophomore and junior years. I just happened to take a chance at sprinting and dropped hurdling this year.”
New Trier senior Dylan Benjamin, who won the 3A state title in the triple jump with a top leap of 14.70 meters, said he has watched Landwer toil in obscurity for years.
“Will’s improvement came from a crazy level of dedication,” Benjamin said. “He locked in on every part of his training, from perfecting his sprint mechanics to getting his body right with our mobility circuits. His mindset also changed. He believed he could be the best and worked every single day like it.
“Even though I’m a jumper, I dabbled with hurdling with Will. I always watched the way Will does everything and would take in what I could. He was one of the driving reasons for my personal success.”
New Trier senior high jumper Charles Hayes said Landwer’s training doesn’t slow down after the season ends.
“Will’s the type of athlete who never skips a rep, even in the offseason,” Hayes said. “Will consistently gives 110% effort, regardless of the circumstances. That level of commitment is the biggest reason behind his outstanding success this season.”
For Landwer, that success took time.
“I wasn’t the fastest guy in my freshman year nor the biggest guy,” he said. “I had good form and attitude, and I put the work in and slowly built on that until my height and weight caught up.”
Landwer, who said he started to focus entirely on running after he was cut from New Trier’s boys soccer team in his sophomore season, has grown into a star. He thinks his 6-foot-1 frame gives him an advantage.
“I get the comment all the time about having a distance runner’s build,” he said. “I’ve embraced it. My body type is taller and skinny, but that helps me in my races. It’s hard to catch me with my height and stride length and form.”
New Trier assistant Matt Sloan agreed that Landwer’s size is deceptive.
“When you look at him, he’s not the typical sprinter,” Sloan said. “You often think NFL running back. He’s a skinny and long-legged guy. But his acceleration is incredible, and he uses that to propel himself to the end of the race.”
In the end, Landwer propelled himself to the top of the podium. But it wasn’t easy.
“I worked hard without expecting rewards to come immediately,” he said. “I trusted the process, even when at times it seemed like there was no light at the end of the tunnel. I had bad races but kept on pushing.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter.
