THE FRONT ROW with JASON ELLIOTT: A chance to make another splash — Rising Coeur d'Alene High senior Rohlinger competes at Nike Nationals before taking missionary trip to Guatemala with mom

Kyle Rohlinger, a rising senior at Coeur d’Alene High, is going places.

Maybe it will come from being awarded the Congressional Award Silver Medal by Congressman Russ Fulcher in May.

Or possibly, from his efforts on the track and field or cross country team at Coeur d’Alene High.

Not even a week into his summer break, Rohlinger is putting both endeavors to use this week.

ROHLINGER, ALONG with his mother, Linda, departed for a missionary trip to Guatemala on Friday, just a day after Kyle competed in the Nike Outdoor Nationals track and field meet at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

The group, ALMA (A Love for Missions Abroad) was started by Coeur d’Alene doctor Mike Oswald. 

“We’ve had a lot of our family friends that have gone down in the past,” Kyle Rohlinger said earlier this week. “I’ve known about it for a few years and we were going to go this year. I can’t wait to go.”

While there, Kyle and Linda will spend a day working in a hospital and dental office in Solola. They will also collaborate with behavior analysts and psychologists at a school for special needs children in Panajachel.

“Usually the trip in June is the big one,” Linda Rohlinger said. “It’s more of a community outreach and volunteer mission. Sometimes they have the kids do some EMT work.”

Chad McCormick and Tony Sarkis, both Coeur d’Alene-based doctors, are also traveling with the group for the mission near Lake Atitlan.

“I’m super excited for the experience,” Kyle Rohlinger said. “I’ve never been and am excited to check out the area. I’m excited to volunteer and see the culture and think it’s going to be an awesome experience.”

“We’ve known the Oswalds for 15 years,” Linda Rohlinger said. “I knew when Kyle got to this age where he could get into how other cultures live and see what other countries are like that we’d do something like this. The medical and school time is all donated. I knew it would be a worldly experience for him to see a different side of the world.”

To receive the Congressional Award, it requires 200 volunteer hours, plus 50 hours each of a physical goal and personal goal. 

Before leaving, Rohlinger did a shoe drive at Coeur d’Alene High, where he collected 300 pairs of used shoes to take to the children in Guatemala.

“We’ve done this for the past three years,” Kyle Rohlinger said. “We usually get them from the school and track kids. To get 300 pairs this year is pretty awesome.”

KYLE ROHLINGER finished 31st in the state 5A cross country meet last October at the Portneuf Wellness Complex in Pocatello as the Viking boys claimed their first state team title since 2011. 

This spring, Rohlinger qualified for state in the 300-meter hurdles.

“Doing the hurdles was something that I’d always had in the back of my mind,” Kyle Rohlinger said. “I hurdled a little in middle school, then didn’t at all as a freshman and trained as a sophomore. It was one of my main events this spring. Coach (Shawn) Amos and (Timothy) Burnside asked me to hurdle last year and I started to do it this year.”

Rohlinger also trained with hurdles coach Linda Lanker, as well as North Idaho Distance Project club coach Emry Carr for the steeplechase, and Rohlinger qualified for Nike Nationals in the 2,000-meter steeplechase.

“It felt really good to do the hurdles this year and get some training with Linda,” Kyle Rohlinger said. “She really helped me with my form and learned the strategy of how to hurdle a little bit.”

As for Carr, who is also an assistant coach on the Viking cross country team and track team, he assisted in the distance portion.

“I’ve been working with him in the offseason doing the 800 and mile,” Kyle Rohlinger said. “Once I wanted to do the steeplechase, Linda taught me and I learned the endurance stuff. I went to Spokane Falls (Community College) where they have a water pit and was able to do some good training.”

Rohlinger qualified for nationals by winning the Rain City Flyers Go the Distance meet on May 26 at Ingraham High in Seattle, finishing in 6 minutes, 15.12 seconds.

“It was awesome,” Kyle Rohlinger said. “Going in, I had in my mind I was fit enough and prepared to go over the steeples. I beat the qualifying time for nationals by 25 seconds, and it was really motivating for me.”

With his time in Seattle, Rohlinger was ranked 23rd in the nation.

On Thursday, Rohlinger finished 19th in 6:15.33 at nationals in Eugene.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to run here in Eugene,” Kyle Rohlinger said. “I was a little nervous, but it was a fun experience. It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

The Rohlingers departed Eugene for home immediately after Kyle’s race at 1:45 p.m. on Thursday to catch a flight from Spokane for the other once-in-a-lifetime chance.

“It’s been a bit of a whirlwind,” Linda Rohlinger said. “Kyle worked so hard to get to a national stage. Then we’ll fly out for another experience that could be life altering. It’s just been fun to experience it all with him. It’s definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for The Press. He can be reached by telephone at 208-664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at jelliott@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter @JECdAPress.

    Photo by GEORGE ROHLINGER Kyle and Linda Rohlinger are traveling to Guatemala with the ALMA mission group for the next week to help serve in the area near Lake Atitlan.
  

    Photo by GEORGE ROHLINGER Kyle Rohlinger, a rising senior at Coeur d'Alene High, practices his jumps for the boys 2,000-meter steeplechase on Wednesday at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.