by By Dan Ninham
Jeremy Bockus, 17, will be a senior next school year and competes for Browning HS in Montana.
“I’m from the Blackfeet Mation, also called Amskapi Piikani,” said Jeremy. “My Indian name is sitokboiwak meaning walks at night.”
Jeremy’s biggest athletic accomplishment is breaking two minutes in the 800 meter race and placing third at the 2021 Montana Class A State Track Meet. His time was 1:58.90.
“I am a strong Blackfeet man with integrity,” said Jeremy. “As an athlete and in life I believe that everyone deserves respect including elders, myself, teammates and competitors. I display generosity with my knowledge of running to my teammates. If you learn something you share it.”
“I’m courageous in the risks I take. I don’t give up when things get hard, I dig deep and move forward. iikaakiimaat means try hard and us Blackfeet are Warriors,” added Jeremy.
Jeremy is looking forward to opening up his horizons for where the future will take him. He said: “I’m going to open up more opportunities for myself in college and later on in life. I set my goals high, and I do want to do running as a career, maybe go to the Olympics. I want to start coaching a team of my own, and help other runners with their goals.”
“How will I get there? I start putting in the work, I run every single day, I study how to become a better runner and talk about it with my coach, even if the days get hard I stay committed.”
“One of my favorite Olympians, Nick Symmonds, is my mentor,” said Jeremy. “I look up to Nick because he’s done so much with his life and I tell myself that I can do the same thing. He runs the same event, the 800m, and that motivates me.”
“I have been running and training with my coach Roy McNabb, assistant track coach at Browning HS, since my freshman year,” said Jeremy. “He would tell me his times from when he was in high school and they are much faster than my times. I’m getting closer, so that’s what motivates me, because I tell myself I can run fast just like he used to.”
“Jeremy is a solid young man,” said Roy McNabb, assistant track coach. “Not just in running but in life. His success on the track is directly tied to his work ethic and mental strength. Knowing he has ran harder during training runs really helps when he gets in a race. That quiet confidence and positive mindset is a privilege to coach. We set some big running goals when we teamed up and he’s been achieving them.”
“Talent wise I believe I’m just scratching the surface. I trust his speed from 800m to half marathon. Whatever distance he trains for, he will be fast at,” added Roy.
“He has a great sense of humor and he leads from the front,” said Roy. “As a result we have a solid core of runners that are starting to shape up. I’m looking forward to the upcoming cross country season. I feel Browning HS is going to start showing big at meets in the near future.”
Jeremy’s track coaches are head coach Robert Miller, and assistant coaches Leo Bullchild, Nathan Stone, and Jaysen Tallwhiteman.
“Last year was the first time I met Leo Bullchild,” said Jeremy. “He was my teacher and influenced me to keep to keep working, to stay committed, and he was my hype man.”
“Jeremy is one of our top cross country and track performers,” said Leo Bullchild, assistant track coach. “His performance this past season shined despite a COVID-filled year. His work ethic and training are of high quality. He remains dedicated and disciplined to his craft and motivates others around him with his determination to get better. He also shows a professionalism for getting better that is rare for high school athletes. We are looking forward to an outstanding senior year.”
“Nathan Stone was a great coach,” said Jeremy. “He gets on everybody about their grades, and won’t stop until you get them up. That’s what you need in a coach, he helped me out a ton,”
“Jeremy goes beyond the practice field in track,” said Nathan Stone, assistant track coach. “He is willing to put in the extra mile on the field. Jeremy has a very team building relationship with his coaches and his fellow teammates. Setting the pace from encouraging them on and off of the track field. With Jeremy being a senior this year I’m hoping he can light a fire underneath his fellow teammates to strive for the gold like he does on the field.”
“Last year was the first year coaching for Jaysen,” said Jeremy. “He’s learning the ropes and he’s an amazing dude. He’s positive and when the workout was his is his first year coaching so he’s still learning the ropes, but he is an amazing dude. He’s positive, so when the workout gets hard, he comes around and makes you laugh and just makes the workout a little more fun.”
“I’ve known Robert the longest and he’s done so much for me these past four years,” said Jeremy. “He keeps me focused on my goals, like the people faster than me he tells me I can beat them, that I can go to state and make podium, he gives me drive, motivates me to do great things.”
“I have been fortunate to have had Jeremy in our track program the past three years,” said Robert Miller, head track coach. “Jeremy is very important to both the cross country and track program at Browning HS. He is dedicated to both sports which is evident in his times and placing. Jeremy is a hard worker and dedicated to his goals. Very seldom do you find an athlete student athlete that pays attention to details and the importance of training. Jeremy loves to compete and improve his marks.”
“He is the true essence of Indian pride here on the Blackfeet reservation. After his third place finishing the 800m at the state meet this year, Jeremy was quick to evaluate and establish next season goals. He has been on the daily grind since that track meet and has been putting lots of miles in training in for the upcoming cross country season,” added Robert.
“I am looking forward to seeing his progression this year and potential state championship,” said Robert. “Jeremy would be a valuable piece to any college in both cross country and track. He is a true leader within our school not only academically but athletically.”
“Jeremy has a bright future in athletics,” added Robert.
Jeremy talked about his path as a high school athlete. He said: “I wasn’t always a runner. I first started as a wrestler in sixth grade and I wrestled up until when I quit my freshman year of high school to focus on running. I first joined cross country in middle school to stay in shape for wrestling and didn’t take it competitively, but then I just lost motivation in wrestling.”
“Then I met Roy and I ran with him for a few months before my freshman year track season and I opened up the season with a 5:12 1600m race. At the time this was a huge PR (personal record), I was stunned, then I kept working and I ran a 4:49 later in the season, and that’s when I fell in love with running,” added Jeremy.
Photo Credit: Kaitlyn Miller
