You probably won’t hear too many top 40 hits coming out of Sean Alemi’s earbuds.
The night before a big cross country race, the Paul VI High School senior likes to relax with avant-garde jazz. On race day, he pumps up with some vintage punk rock.
“I listen to all types of music,” Alemi said, explaining that he also likes hip hop and classic rock. “Sometimes, when I’m running, I have a song in my head, but I just try to stay locked in.”
On that note, Alemi is hitting his crescendo, as he ran the 5K course at DREAM Park in Logan Township in 16:01.03 on Nov. 2 to win the Bob Kiessling Invitational. Alemi broke away from the pack early and challenged himself during a chilly early morning run.
“I was by myself for most of the race,” Alemi said. “I just tried to imagine someone out in front of me the whole race. My coach told me to imagine that he was right there with me and pushing me to go faster so I don’t fall off.”
Alemi doesn’t usually need a lot of help focusing. He’s the president of Paul VI’s chess club, consistently strategizing his next move. Alemi has been playing chess since fifth grade. He is also a member of his school’s ping pong club and African American History club.
Paul VI boys cross country coach Mike Rankin said Alemi has become a perfect leader for the team.
“Sean Alemi is one of the best leaders we’ve had,” Rankin said. “He and the other captains do a great job. Sean is very outspoken and says things to the kids … in a way that is teenager-centric. He gets a rise out of the kids and pumps them up.”
Rankin enjoyed watching the students make history at the Bob Kiessling Invitational, as the Eagles won the team title for the 24th time. According to high school track historian Reuben Frank, Paul VI recorded its best team score (23 points) at the meet since 2001. Paul VI had five runners in the top eight, including sophomore Caden Briggs, who finished second. Sophomore Chase Cooley finished fifth, senior Christian Napoli placed seventh, and freshman Trevor Del Borrello took eighth.
“We have something like 11 sophomores, and all of them are just getting better every day,” Alemi said. “I will love to see them do great things after I leave.
Alemi is undecided on where he will study next year, but he plans to venture into engineering while finding a college where he can run either track or cross country.
“I’m interested in clean energy and things like that,” Alemi said. “I’ll probably end up declaring mechanical engineering to start out, and take those general education engineering courses and see what type of engineering I like. I’ll figure it out.”
His coach has all the faith in him, whether it’s academics or athletics. “When it comes to the team, he’s concerned about the collective,” Rankin said. “When it comes to individual, he’s looking for the right fit for college and something he wants to pursue for the next four years. He really loves the sport … and to see someone grab onto it and maximize their potential is really special to see.”
Next up is the Non-Public A state championship on Nov. 9 at Holmdel Park. Alemi will have some added confidence with a big win under his belt. “It gives me the motivation I need to really compete with some of the best guys.”
The playlist on the ride up to states could be interesting.
“Every day is different,” Rankin said with a laugh. “He’ll listen to Charles Mingus jazz one day, and the next day he’s got some obscure Slint album from the 1990s. He’s a tremendous personality. It’s cool to see someone so well-rounded dig into a sport in such a full-scale way.”
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