Mike Vukovcan All kids that participate in sports would like to excel, that’s only normal. However, not all kids are willing to put in the necessary work in order to be a standout.
As Michael Jordan, arguably, the greatest basketball player of all time famously said, “Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.”
That’s a pretty accurate way to describe Hopewell freshman Jack Biega and his passion for the sports of Track and Field.
When researching this story, I only knew of Biega for his participation in basketball. Little did I know that his interest and love for running goes as far back as when he started playing basketball.
“I’ve always worked out and ran with Coach Brunton, probably since I was 4 years old, particularly in the summer, running and sprinting with him. Before I started playing football, I used to run with the cross-country team. I was actually only in 4th and 5th grade but I would run and just work out with the varsity cross country team,” said Brunton. “
“So, I’ve always had interest in cross country and track and couldn’t wait until I was in high school so that I could be on the team.”
“We have been waiting a long time for Jack to get to the high school, because he has been running and working out with us in the offseason since he was 8,” said Coach Jeff Brunton. “He’s very talented and very dedicated. He has sprinter speed with a miler’s gas tank.”
The dedication from Biega isn’t just during the track and field season. It helps that Jack enjoys running but also realizes the running benefits him more than just in track season. Biega tells Vikings Sports Now that he works out 5 to 6-days a week and is a frequent visitor at Any Time Fitness in Hopewell. When he’s not at the gym, his workouts consist of running 3-4 miles around Hopewell.
“Then in the summer and fall, I jog throughout Sweet Brier 3 to 4 times a week and continue that when the weather is good during track season. I just like to be active and make sure that I’m in shape for sports,” said Biega.
“This definitely helps me with basketball as far as the conditioning. Two laps on the track are a lot to sprint and the practices that we do for long distance, we run laps around the track nonstop, so that’s obviously going to help me during basketball season.”
When asked to evaluate his conditioning level during basketball season, Biega told me that aside from one game this season in which he played the entire JV game and then a lot in the varsity game, he rarely gets tired on the basketball court.
Hopewell 9th Grader Jack Biega
The basketball court is what most people link Biega to but that might be changing soon. In Hopewell’s first two meets of the 2025 season, despite being a newcomer, Biega has finished in first place twice in the 800m. Aside from that event, Jack runs the 4×800, the 100 and the 4×400.
When asked which of the races was his favorite, Biega’s answer wasn’t a surprise.
“My favorite is the 800. I actually just started doing that this year and just wanted to try something new. So far, I’ve won the first two races that I’ve been in so now I really like it, it’s fun. Yeah, I surprised myself a little with the fact that I’ve won it two times in a row. I didn’t know what to expect but now I’m proud of what I’ve done because I’ve pushed myself to try and do well.”
“My coach told me to stay behind the leader in the first lap and then in the second lap, go take off and win the race,” said Biega. “So, I go in knowing who to stay behind and then as soon as I get to the 40-yard line on the home stretch, I take off and win it.”
As far as the early success that he’s had, Biega was quick to point out the impact that his head coach has had on him.
“He’s a workaholic,” said Biega. “He’s here every day and always helping kids on our team. I can’t describe the impact that he’s had on me individually. He’s helped me to get faster, helping me in the long distance to have a bigger gas tank that my competitors. Coach Brunton is just a super hard worker and someone that really cares. He’s someone that is willing to critique you, not to criticize you in order to make you better and once it’s perfect, it really is perfect.”
Despite being so early in his high school career, that hasn’t stopped Biega for wanting to be perfect and to create high expectations for himself and lofty goals to reach. Biega isn’t going to be satisfied with being good, he wants and plans on being great.
“No doubt, 100%. I expect to make the WPIAL’s next year, then my junior and senior year, I expect to win the WPIAL’s and in my senior year, I want to win the State Championship. That’s my ultimate goal,” said Biega.
“We expect him to work incredibly hard to achieve his potential, and when he does, he will make the 800m a show stopping event.”
