St. Paul Central sprinter Harlow Tong, whose grades and speed rose in tandem, is the All-Metro Sports Awards Student First winner.

Not every high school student who breaks a school record gets to shake hands with the mayor. But not every high school student breaks his mayor’s school record in the 400 meters.

Even St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter knew St. Paul Central had a special athlete when Harlow Tong as a junior broke Carter’s 400 record en route to a state title in the event.

“That was the first time I had proof of my talent,” said Tong, “the first time I had a real record associated with my name.”

More is now associated with his name. Tong, a Harvard commit, is the 2024 All-Metro Sports Awards Student First winner.

Tong discovered his speed and his academics improved on parallel paths. He said he was “never a star student, especially in high school,” but as he got onto the track faster, he began to hold himself to higher academic standards. Tong studied as part of Central’s writing-heavy International Baccalaureate program, taught and founded the school’s Homework Help Club.

Tong once always felt one step slower than his older brother. Julian, three years older, ran track for the Gophers for a year. The brothers played football together, and teammates and coaches commented on Julian’s speed.

Julian encouraged his younger brother to focus on track during high school. The brothers’ coach at Minnesota Sprint Factory, Marc Brown, recalled Julian telling him that no matter how fast he was, his younger brother would be faster.

All year long, Tong felt the 400 “click” when he rode it for the first time to qualify for the 2022 Junior Nationals in Sacramento. Earning three All-America honors, Tong said he realized, “I would hardly put any effort into (the 400). … So what would happen if I put that effort (put in)? And so I started to really get off the ground.”

“What you would almost expect is that once you start running, you care a little less about school,” Tong said. “I feel like being better at something, being at that level has really shown me that I could be at that level in a lot of other areas. I just chose not to work on it, and if you know that about yourself, it really changes the way you work.” feeling.”

At Harvard, Tong plans to explore his environmental interests. He graduated with a Class 3A title in the 400, a second-place finish in the 100 and a state record in the indoor 200.

“It’s going to be hard to fill his shoes,” Brown said. “His mannerisms, his character, just being liked and respected, his leadership qualities.”

After spending a senior spring battling a sports hernia in his hip that kept him out of this year’s state track meet, Tong is looking forward to seeing “the peak of my potential” at Harvard, athletically and academically, he said.

“I’ve always been the kind of person where I don’t necessarily care about winning,” Tong said. “I just want to see how much I can do.”