Owens is on track to be one of best

in a sport where all the blame, all the focus was on me, so I didn’t have to worry about other peoples’ performances.”

He matured after his sophomore year, he said, able to focus purely on track and school at that point.

“I can’t remember the last time I walked down to the track and Ayden didn’t beat me down there and he was already working on something,” North Allegheny track coach John Neff said.

One of the biggest signs of his growth in his dad’s eyes was choosing to pursue the decathlon, a challenge spanning two days and 10 events in the 100 meter, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400 meter, 110-meter hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1,500 meter.

Why? Ten chances things might not go as planned.

“It’s interesting that he chose decathlon, because there are 10 instances in which you can succeed or fail,” Mike Owens said. “At first glance you’d think he’d just stick with the one thing he’s good at, but he doesn’t do that. That’s really signaled an improvement/advancement in his maturity, as far as we’re concerned.”

Growing up, Ayden looked up to Usain Bolt. The Olympics have always been his dream, and he’ll keep working toward that at USC, but shorter term, he’s aiming to qualify for the 2018 Under-20 World Championships in July in Finland.

Now in the final stretch of his high school track career, he has grown to like competing as a team. In events, though, it’s all on him.

“I like going to WPIALs, I like trying to win as much as we can,” Ayden said. “We haven’t lost this year, so getting to work with these guys and girls and try to win as much as we can, I do like the team aspect. But the main thing is individual. You do what you can do to contribute to the team.”