BIG TIMBER – Casey Gunlikson knows his time is now.
“Coming into this year, junior year, I got nothing to lose,” said Gunlikson. “I got another year, so I can just push myself.”
And he has. Even with a weather-shortened season, the Big Timber sprinter has set personal records in the 100 meters, 200 meters, and 300-meter hurdles, where he owns the top time in Montana this year. But he can’t take all the credit.
“My coach is my mom, so I have no slack there,” Gunlikson said. “She pushes us pretty hard.”
And he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Honestly, I’m not a huge practice person, and that’s what makes it nice, that my mom’s the coach,” the junior admitted. “I don’t get to let up any”.
Especially in the hurdles, which mom Paula Berry ran collegiately at Montana State – even though Casey’s favorite part is the end.
“We all say the same thing. We’re not really too fond of these,” Gunlikson said of the intermediate hurdles race. “So at the end, we’re just happy it’s over.
“But this year has kind of changed a little bit – I have a goal. I want to get under 38 (seconds) this year and I’m pretty close.”
Which nobody else can usually say when they race against him.
