HNT Boys Track: Perth Amboy's Juan Alejandro hurdles to the top

Yeah, but can he also chew gum at the same time?

So much goes into being a top hurdler, and Perth Amboy’s Juan Alejandro has the nuances down from years of training. Controlling his arms. Timing for jumps. Knowing how high to leap. Forget just doing two things at once.

“He’s like a technician,” Panthers track coach Bryan Williams said. “It’s so many parts. You not only have to have the speed and the strength. You have to have the flexibility. You have to focus. And you definitely have to really work on technique.”

Everything came together for Alejandro in a breakout indoor season. The senior finished fourth at the Meet of Champions in the 55 meter hurdles and second in Group IV. At the Greater Middlesex Conference championships, he fought through the flu to place second.

Now, he hopes to take that next leap during the spring outdoor season which starts April 1. He’s the defending GMC champion in the 400 hurdles and placed second in the 110 hurdles.

“To me, it feels like second nature because I’ve been doing it for so long,” Alejandro said. “But personally, I believe that I haven’t reached what I’m capable of yet. The times are good, but I’m not as happy with them because I know I can go way faster. I know there’s a lot of things for me to learn and a lot of things for me to keep working on.”

Williams said the ingredients that make Alejandro so good are “his passion for the sport. His technique and his speed.”

At a slender 5-foot-11, Alejandro has an ideal build for the event. Throw in that passion and the work ethic to fine-tune the smallest things, and he seems primed for a strong spring.

Some hurdlers pick it up as freshmen. Alejandro started hurdling in the sixth grade. Sure, he faced everybody’s biggest fear — face-planting straight into the track and having your nose rearranged. And it did feel strange at first. But it was something about the challenge that appealed to him, that kept him coming back and eager to improve.

“I always was taught to be good at something, you always have to take risks and face challenges,” he said. “You know, it wasn’t going to come with the blink of an eye. You actually had to go out there and practice. No matter how many times you fall, you have to get back up and keep doing it. … I was introduced to the challenge. The challenge was right in front of my face. It’s either you want to do it, or you don’t. When I first started, I was like, ‘I’m going to try it.’ You see, when you overcome something that you never thought you would overcome, it makes you feel better as a person.”

Alejandro has steadily improved in high school, dropping his times to where it’s now all instinct when going over the 10 hurdles in each race.

Williams said they’re working to help him increase his stamina and building his strength for the longer spring races. That includes competing in the 800, as well as running in the 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400 relay teams, along with Jon DeJesus, Nazir Jenkins and Jeremiah Stevens.

“Sometimes I enjoy not running with hurdles in the way,” he said with a laugh. “Because it’s so relaxing.”

But it’s the hurdles, and training along with fellow senior Jose Lopez, that he hopes to make his mark.

“Hopefully, the season goes as planned,” he said. “We have a very, very young team. I see a lot of great things happening with this team. I’m confident that me and my team, if we stay focused and do our things, play the game correctly, that we’re going to be heard of.”

So, with all the things that go into hurdling, can he chew game while racing?

“Probably not,” he said with a chuckle. “I mean, if I practice with it, I probably can. All it takes is practice.”