By Mykola Washchuk​ – Staff Writer 

After achieving a goal he had set over a year ago, local track standout Tyler Gantt of Lyons Township High School qualified for the Nike Outdoor Nationals Meet in Eugene, Oregon, on May 8, 2026, at a local invitational meet. Gantt is set to compete in Oregon from June 18-22. 

“It was a huge goal of mine to be able to go to nationals,” Gantt said. “It was something that I had always wanted to do, and I don’t think I had ever been that close.”

Gantt earned his place at the national meet after running a personal-best time of 1 minute, 55 seconds in the 800-meter run at the McCarthy Memorial Invitational during the 2026 Spring season. The qualifying standard for the event was 1:5, putting him two seconds under the required mark.

“I’ve had this goal [making nationals] since over a year ago. I’ve always wanted to go to this meet, and it was a huge goal of mine to be able to go to nationals,” Gantt said. “When I ran the time, it was pretty euphoric because I had always wanted to go.”

Gantt lives in Cook County, which has over 5.2 million residents, so the honor of representing his community is what excites him the most. 

“It’s pretty legendary, because not a lot of people go, and it’s a huge honor to represent the people,” Gantt said. “I’m the only person going in this county, and it’s kind of crazy to be able to qualify and represent people who I have been seeing all my life.”

Reaching nationals has been a long-term objective for Gantt, but it became even more meaningful after a disappointing cross-country season. 

“The biggest setback I have faced this year was during cross country when our team didn’t qualify for state,” Gantt said. “We had a pretty rough sectional meet and were very competitive. So going into the track season I had something to prove because I didn’t do what I wanted to do during the cross-country season. So going into the track season I had a lot of goals I had set out to achieve.”

As nationals approached, Gantt shifted his focus toward speed work while reducing his mileage during the taper phase of his training. He believes one of his greatest strengths in the 800 meters is his finishing kick. 

“I feel most confident in my closing 200 meters,” Gantt said. “I can pull together and pass as many people as I need to.”

Although he has competed in large meets before, Gantt said Nike Outdoor Nationals will be the most prestigious event of his career and his first experience at a national championship meet. Rather than targeting a specific finish, Gantt said his objectives are simple. 

“I’m most excited about the experience,” Gantt said. “I definitely want to run a fast time, but it’s more about the people I meet and the time that I will have there.” 

Reviewing what it took to get to this position, Gantt calls on his team’s support as one of the driving forces to punch his ticket to nationals. When asked about who has helped him get to this point in his career, Gantt cites Lyons Township High School Boy’s Track varsity team.

“My coach Michael Danner, and for sure all of my teammates, everyone on the varsity group [has pushed] me to achieve my goals in workouts and in roadruns.” 

Gantt got a time of 1:58 at the Nationals competition, placing 85 out of 125 entered athletes. Looking back, Gantt hopes younger athletes recognize that improvement often requires patience and hard work. 

“Freshman year, I wasn’t particularly good at running,” he said. “When I really tried for it, I got really good, and I eventually made it to nationals. If anyone is looking for something they think is unachievable, it just takes a couple of years and some hard work to achieve it.”