Cruize Corvin, son of Hall of Famer Curt Corvin, carrying on family running legacy at Lakes
In 1997, Curt Corvin unexpectedly ran into coach Joe Clark and the Lakes High School cross country team at a local park.
Curt, a former All-American runner for the Lancers who claimed state titles in both track and cross country in the 1980s — and later held the 10,000-meter record at the University of Washington — asked to volunteer for his alma mater, and returned to where it all started.
In the present day, it is Curt’s son creating the latest headlines.
Cruize Corvin, who has the third-best 5,000-meter time in the state this spring — a personal-best 15 minutes, 33 seconds posted in February — did not lose a race all season.
The father-son duo now work together on the Lancers’ team, and recently claimed the Class 3A Pierce County League cross country title, with Cruize topping the leaderboard again at Saturday’s league meet at Fort Steilacoom Park in Lakewood.
Cruize ran a 15:54.1 to win the individual title, while Lakes captured the team championship over Stadium.
“It’s outstanding,” Curt said of his son’s success. “I’m just really proud of him for the way he’s been working hard. Through the whole pandemic, he worked hard. He didn’t lose his enthusiasm, he didn’t lose hope. He just kept training and kept working because he knew he’d get an opportunity again. I’m proud of him (for) that.”
Just three years ago, the sophomore was still unsure whether he would join the cross country team at all. Without any pressure from his family to follow his father’s footsteps, Curt said his son’s decision was his and only his.
“(The Lakes) team was at the track, and said I should do cross country,” Cruize said. “And so I gave it a try, and I ended up really liking it. It’s been good ever since then.”
Cruize shaved over a full minute off his 5,000-meter time from last season, and still has two years to improve on his personal-best 15:33.
He won’t have an opportunity to make a run at the state title this spring due to COVID-19 restrictions, but Cruize’s coach believes he would be in an exclusive group of runners gunning for it, if given the chance.
“I don’t know that he has a ceiling,” said Clark, who also serves as Cruize’s academic advisor at Lakes. “If state were held this year, Cruize would be in that group of athletes vying for a state title. That’s his goal, and I think he has the talent and work ethic to be one of those guys doing that.”
What plays a role in Cruize’s success as both a student and a runner is his attention to detail. He does the little things, and “just really has an ethic of making sure things get done,” Clark said.
Throughout the pandemic, with schools closed and athletic programs shut down, Cruize and Curt carried on with their training schedules. Their daily runs, which typically stretch three miles, continued on.
“I can’t keep up with him anymore,” Curt said. “He passed me up a couple of years ago. We start out together, but coming around the turn, he’s long gone.”
But, surpassing Curt’s high school records may be another story.
Curt’s personal-best in cross country was 14:45. In track and field, he ran a 4:06 in the 1,600 in 1983, which ranked fifth in the nation that season, and his state championship-winning time in the 3,200 that year (9:00.1) ranked eighth.
He is both a WIAA Hall of Famer and Tacoma-Pierce County Sports Hall of Famer.
When asked whether he had set out to pass his father in the Lakes’ history books, Cruize paused.
“Careful how you answer that,” Curt said with a laugh. “Respect your elders. I’d like to see him break them. If anybody breaks them, I’d like to see him do it.”
Things are much different at Lakes now than in 1983, when Curt claimed his final high school state title as a member of the track team.
In addition to a new building, completed roughly a decade ago, Lakes’ practice facilities underwent massive renovations, and ditched the cinder track Curt ran on.
“If it rained, the first three lanes were under water,” Curt said.
Now, it’s Cruize’s time to shine as a Lancers runner. And because the decision to follow his father’s footsteps was only his, “it’s his because he wants it,” Clark said.
“During practice, I’ve seen him change from a typical freshman goofy boy, to a goofy sophomore, but one that takes things serious,” Clark said. “He listens. He wants to get better, and so he listens to what others say, and really takes that to heart.”
Cruize says he wants to pursue a collegiate running career. With his academic success — and consideration among the best runners in the state — he should have plenty of opportunities when the time comes.
For now, his focus is on his high school career. The track and field season opened Monday.
“I see myself running for fun all my life,” Cruize said. “I’ll see where it takes me.”
