When it comes to achievement, Boomchain Loucks has a philosophy that he thinks more people should consider: “I have to keep going. It’s supposed to hurt. I want to win.”

Currently in his senior year of high school, Loucks said it didn’t take much time for him to decide to help coach middle school cross-country as his senior project. He traces his roots back to the same trails and runs, noting that the middle school level is where his passion for the sport was first ignited.

He credits the running club and mentorship of middle school teacher Laura Davies for helping him understand his potential. He said she was the one who truly helped push him to the next level at the very beginning.

According to Davies, Loucks was most helpful in teaching middle schoolers and demonstrating the mechanics of running — giving tips for good form and for good drills and exercises.

“He helped time them and he ran with them,” she said. “The biggest part was that he was a role model and inspiration as he was competing in his own high school season.”

Davies said he also helped host and coach at the only Wrangell middle school cross-country race of the season.

Although he has a wealth of knowledge and competitive experience to share, Loucks believes his primary role with the younger runners is to provide motivation and inspiration.

He has been equally impressed by the talent coming up through the ranks, noting that several middle school runners have already begun to step into leadership roles on the team. He said his goal is simply to get more people interested in the sport, noting that it feels good to get out on the course and give back.

Loucks built a formidable body of work during his high school career and intends to continue running at the collegiate level. His resume includes a Division III state title win as a sophomore, a year in which the Wolves also repeated as team champions.

His junior year in 2024 saw him go undefeated against Division III competition until a health scare briefly sidelined him. After being cleared by a cardiologist to compete, he returned to the sport without missing a beat.

His last high school cross-country season was a display of individual dominance. He opened the season at the Milk Run Classic at Muskeg Meadows by clocking 16 minutes, 8.5 seconds, breaking his own school record. After winning race after race throughout the fall, he capped off the season with another victory at the state meet.

Loucks said he finds the sport therapeutic, describing it as a stress reliever that allows him to clear his head and leave everything out on the course.

The future looks bright for the senior, who has already received an offer to attend the University of Alaska Anchorage. However, he is also weighing interests from Washington State University and Gonzaga University, in Spokane, Washington.

He’s realistic about the jump to the next level, noting that to compete at Gonzaga, he would need to shave 10 seconds off his mile time and find eight seconds of speed in the 500-meter race. His current mile time stands at 4:26.

Regardless of where he heads for university, Loucks plans to study business. He hopes to eventually return home to Wrangell to launch a business of his own.

Whether in the classroom or on the track, his strategy remains consistent. He believes in giving everything you have in the moment to avoid regret later on — a mindset that has served him well from the middle school trails to the state championship podium.