Van Halen makes own name in track
His favourite song is “Hot for Teacher.” His go-to selection on karaoke nights happens to be “Panama .”
And whenever steeplechaser Aric Van Halen tells someone his name, he waits for the inevitable question: Are you related to THE Van Halens? Why, yes he is.
His father is drummer Alex Van Halen, the co-founder of the Hall of Fame band. Aric happened to find his rhythm on the track and certainly brings a rock star look with a sleeve of tattoos on his left arm.
“He’s proud that I found something I’m good at and I love to do,” said Aric, who didn’t advance out of the first round of the steeplechase Friday night at the U.S. track and field championships. “It didn’t matter what it was. Making it to the Olympic trials last year was a huge accomplishment for me and for him to say, ‘My son went to the Olympic trials.’”
Aric tried to follow a similar musical path as his father. He learned the violin, followed by the piano, drums, saxophone, guitar and back to the drums. It wasn’t for him.
“I was more of a sports guy,” said the 27-year-old who grew up in Los Angeles. “I needed to be a little more active. My attention span was never there.”
At first, baseball was his passion. He was a middle infielder until track entered the picture. He ran the fitness mile as a seventh grader and finished in a blistering time of five minutes, 45 seconds.
In high school, he switched full time to running and attended the University of Colorado, where he was turned into a steeplechaser, a 3,000-metre race that features jumping over barriers and running through water pits. The school is renowned for producing elite steeplechasers such as Jenny Simpson — now a 1,500 Olympic medallist — and Emma Coburn, who earned a bronze medal at the Rio de Janeiro Games.
“Just something I wanted to do. It looked fun,’’ Aric said.