The ambiance inside Drake Stadium matches the brittle spring Des Moines air — atmospheric tensions so tight they could break at the sound of a starting bullet. On the Blue Oval, runners of the 2023 Drake Relays high school boys 3200 meters take their marks, awaiting the break of the gun.

And they’re off.

Runners jostle for position during the first mile of the competition. The boys move at a pedestrian pace, each attempting to anticipate what the other is trying to do; no athlete is ready to run the race on their terms. 

Until Chase Lauman is.

With four and a half laps left until the finish, Lauman uses a short surge to break away from the field as they exit the backstretch. As the pack strings out, he leads Iowa’s best distance runners for three more laps. Nearing 250 to go, a competitor sneaks up on Lauman’s hip, passing him on the inside while narrowly avoiding the guard rail. As a championship begins to slip from his grasp, Lauman opens his stride to slingshot around the home stretch curve and retake the lead down the 100 straight. Crossing the finish line, Lauman looks up at the scoreboard in disbelief before being handed his Drake Relays champion flag.

“That’s still probably my biggest accomplishment,” Lauman said when asked to reflect on his young career. “That was really cool.”

Now, Lauman looks to add to his already decorated resume while donning the purple and gold.

Before joining the Panthers, Lauman attended Pella High School in Pella, Iowa, where he excelled in track and cross-country. In addition to his Drake Relays title, Lauman was a two-time state team champion and is still a school record holder over the mile and half-mile distances. He also achieved the rare “triple crown” by winning the 800m, 1600m, and 3200m at the 2023 3A state track meet. On top of his track success, Lauman was an all-state runner on the grass, where he helped the Dutch win two state championships.

Lauman began his running journey by participating in local road races and the AAU track circuit. He credits his start in the sport to his dad, who never forced him in any direction but was always a source of inspiration. His father was a collegiate runner at Central College before he started racing marathons later in adulthood. 

“Seeing that motivated me,” said Lauman, who is always looking to give back to his family, who has been with him throughout his journey.

“They support me, and I just want to continue to support them too,” Lauman explained.

Now a sophomore at UNI, Lauman will rely on that support and his faith as he pursues his athletic goals at Northern Iowa. 

“The mile school record would be cool,” Lauman said, reiterating that he is “always looking to compete with the best,” a necessary mindset when pursuing such a significant goal.

The rest of the Northern Iowa men’s track team also carries this competitive nature. The Panthers are fresh off a Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Championship, where Lauman “grew really close” with his teammates.

“Everybody is hyping each other up … we all want the same goal,” expressed Lauman on Panther culture.

Above all, though, Lauman has his eyes set on “breaking four (minutes) in the mile” after stating he believed he was closing in on the milestone last year before a foot injury sidelined him for his freshman outdoor track campaign.

Lauman has had multiple foot-related injuries, including stress reactions and nerve problems, throughout his career. However, he has always managed to “work through them” by cross-training on the bike and reducing mileage when necessary. Lauman also tries to prevent further injuries through prehab exercises and physical therapy.

Although Lauman has dealt with his fair share of setbacks, he aims to “stay as relaxed as possible” each time he toes the line, regardless of his training structure. When Lauman’s out competing, he stays engaged in the race by thinking about his positioning and the moves he needs to make to advance in the field. Like all runners, Lauman also periodically looks at the race clock after every lap or split he completes.

“I’m an accounting major, so I think about numbers all the time,” laughed Lauman.

After graduating from UNI, Lauman hopes to work as a CPA at a Big Four accounting firm. In his free time, he loves disc golfing with his teammates and friends to divert himself from running and his studies.

Although Lauman notes that it would be “cool to run post-collegiately,” he focuses on staying present and working toward his current goals as a Panther. Yet, running may never leave Lauman, and he surely hopes it doesn’t. 

“I just love the sport, and I want to stay as close as I can.”