Perka: Freeport grad Ben Perka working toward another season of improvements for Geneva cross country, track and field

Asked what kind of music he listens to during training runs, Ben Perka pauses. His tastes in music are varied, and he doesn't really have a go-to. Just put in the ear buds and hit shuffle. Perka needs something to keep him energized during the scores of miles he covers in the offseason. After all, distance runners often train alone, so music serves as the pace-setter. Perka, a Freeport grad and rising junior at Geneva, prides himself on being a solid middle-distance runner. The proof is in the results. This past season, he led off Geneva's distance medley relay team - the first leg is 1,200 meters - that earned the Presidents' Athletic Conference indoor title. During outdoor season this spring, he had a pair of podium finishes a the PAC championships: sixth in the mile - in a personal-best time of 4 minutes, 29.55 seconds - and eighth in the 1,500. But Golden Tornadoes coach Phil Thompson said Perka also was a valuable member of Geneva's cross country team. Perka was a regular in Thompson's top seven last fall, and as Perka ramps up for the 2024 cross country season, he and his coach are looking for even better results. "I think Ben always looked at himself as a middle-distance runner, but this past cross country season, he took a big jump from where he was his freshman year, and that was because of the work he put in over the summer," said Thompson, entering his sixth season in charge of the cross country teams and 10th with the track and field teams. "He ran some unbelievable times for us, which is no joke because (we) run an 8K." Perka said his training habits have changed drastically from high school. He admitted he didn't do a lot of offseason running while at Freeport, but he learned quickly what it would take to compete at the college level. He also learned how to take care of his body better. Distance runners often compete in both sports in high school and college and don't have the benefit of seven or eight months off in between seasons like athletes in other sports. And with the longer cross country races in college, taking it easy became as important as training hard. "Whenever our coach gives us recovery days, you don't want to take those too hard," Perka said. "You have to actually listen and not overexert yourself on those easy recovery days. "... And I'd have to say getting enough sleep, that's something that's incredibly important. Freshman year, I had an awful sleep schedule, and I kind of turned that around and saw the fruits of getting better sleep." He saw them mostly during the track and field seasons, with a medal and a pair of podium finishes as evidence. The PAC gold in the indoor distance medley relay was Perka's first as a college athlete. He teamed with Amari Andrews (400-meter leg), Evan Groce (800) and Kevin Arseneaux (mile) to finish in 10:39.86. All four will return this coming season to defend their title. Perka said his success - and the motivation to work toward it - can be attributed to his teammates in both sports. "It was very good compared to the previous year," Perka said about his 2023-24 performance. "I enjoyed running more than in previous years. The reason for that is just because of the people that I'm running with. They're great people, and they push you even when you don't want to. "You don't want to let the people on your team down by not training over the summer. You see what they're doing, and you are like, 'Well, I've at least got to keep up.' " Thompson said Perka has become a better student of running, which has contributed to his upward trajectory. He also has proven to be durable, Thompson said, pushing through minor aches and pains in workouts and races. "Ben's a very patient runner, too," Thompson said. "He doesn't panic. He's always got something left in the tank for that last stretch. "He's a gamer. He's always ready on race day. He's especially ready on PAC day and regionals day, so I am never worried about Ben when it comes to those meets." And those are where Perka hopes to have his best performances this season. But he and Thompson are keeping expectations realistic. Thompson said Perka shaved some 30 seconds from his cross country PR between his freshman and sophomore years. He also dropped nearly 10 seconds from his mile and 1,500 times in track. Those kinds of jumps, however, can't be expected every year, Thompson said. There is a point at which a runner reaches his or her peak. Still, he doesn't believe Perka is there yet. "With the work ethic he has, honestly, I wouldn't be shocked if he took another 15-20 seconds off his 8K time (in cross country) and another 3 to 5 seconds off his mile and 1,500 just because of the talent level he has," Thompson said. Perka said he is eager to improve and is confident there are more medals and podium finishes in his future. "I'm just trying to chop a few seconds off my 1,500 PR and for track I'm going to try to run sub-2 minutes in the 800," he said. "I definitely think I can. There's definitely going to be challenges, but I think I can move up a few places."