Balancing act no trouble for Pius X's Schlautman
It’s exhausting just reading Brandon Schlautman’s list of accomplishments.
Wendy’s High School Heisman national finalist, cross country, track, basketball, Student Council, Believers & Achievers state winner, reserve champion state diary judging and exhibiting, community volunteer, tutor. And he still has time to maintain a 4.0 grade-point average and rank No. 1 in his Lincoln Pius X senior class of 227.
“Time is not a big issue. I feel busy, but it always works out,” Schlautman said. “You always want more time, but somehow you end up finding it if you just ask for it.
“I’ll come home at night and have a million things to do and somehow it always gets done. I don’t have any special formula or way of doing things.”
His coaches appreciated having Schlautman on their teams.
“He was a calming presence. He is so well-respected by the kids,” said basketball coach Ray Forycki. “He brings our confidence level up and increases our effort. He is the furthest from cocky you can be and he’s a likeable kid.
“It’s the intangibles. He has good skills, too, but the intangibles are off the scale.”
George O’Boyle, cross country and track coach, said Schlautman always pushes himself.
“He finds it difficult if he loses a race or doesn’t do as well as he’d like. But then he’s looking forward to the next race,” O’Boyle said.
Schlautman considers himself a morning person and there are several contributing factors. Training runs in the summer are at 7:30. And tending to dairy cattle can’t wait until mid-morning.
“I don’t stay up late. I usually get up at 5 in the morning,” Schlautman said. “I like getting to school early to hang out with my friends or finish whatever homework I have left. And I try to go to 6:30 mass three or four times a week.”
There’s always plenty of homework when you carry the kind of course load he has — advanced placement calculus, AP English literature, advanced chemistry, AP biology, AP government and social justice. He’ll take the AP tests in May to determine if he will receive college credit.
He will apply that at Nebraska Wesleyan, where he plans to major in biology and chemistry with an eye on medical school.
“My younger brother, Nathan, starts at Pius next year,” Schlautman said. “I wanted to be around as he tries out for athletic teams and goes to classes and takes finals for the first time. I wanted to be a part of that.
“We have different personalities. He’s humorous, can get people to laugh and he’s really creative. I’m excited to see what he can accomplish.”
Schlautman set the bar high. He earned a trip to New York in December as a result of the Wendy’s Heisman award.
“My favorite part was going to the top of the Empire State Building. It was night and you could see the whole city,” he said. “I got to get a picture taken with the three Nebraska Heisman winners. Actually, our whole family was in the picture and it was our Christmas picture.”
Wendy’s High School Heisman national finalist, cross country, track, basketball, Student Council, Believers & Achievers state winner, reserve champion state diary judging and exhibiting, community volunteer, tutor. And he still has time to maintain a 4.0 grade-point average and rank No. 1 in his Lincoln Pius X senior class of 227.
“Time is not a big issue. I feel busy, but it always works out,” Schlautman said. “You always want more time, but somehow you end up finding it if you just ask for it.
“I’ll come home at night and have a million things to do and somehow it always gets done. I don’t have any special formula or way of doing things.”
His coaches appreciated having Schlautman on their teams.
“He was a calming presence. He is so well-respected by the kids,” said basketball coach Ray Forycki. “He brings our confidence level up and increases our effort. He is the furthest from cocky you can be and he’s a likeable kid.
“It’s the intangibles. He has good skills, too, but the intangibles are off the scale.”
George O’Boyle, cross country and track coach, said Schlautman always pushes himself.
“He finds it difficult if he loses a race or doesn’t do as well as he’d like. But then he’s looking forward to the next race,” O’Boyle said.
Schlautman considers himself a morning person and there are several contributing factors. Training runs in the summer are at 7:30. And tending to dairy cattle can’t wait until mid-morning.
“I don’t stay up late. I usually get up at 5 in the morning,” Schlautman said. “I like getting to school early to hang out with my friends or finish whatever homework I have left. And I try to go to 6:30 mass three or four times a week.”
There’s always plenty of homework when you carry the kind of course load he has — advanced placement calculus, AP English literature, advanced chemistry, AP biology, AP government and social justice. He’ll take the AP tests in May to determine if he will receive college credit.
He will apply that at Nebraska Wesleyan, where he plans to major in biology and chemistry with an eye on medical school.
“My younger brother, Nathan, starts at Pius next year,” Schlautman said. “I wanted to be around as he tries out for athletic teams and goes to classes and takes finals for the first time. I wanted to be a part of that.
“We have different personalities. He’s humorous, can get people to laugh and he’s really creative. I’m excited to see what he can accomplish.”
Schlautman set the bar high. He earned a trip to New York in December as a result of the Wendy’s Heisman award.
“My favorite part was going to the top of the Empire State Building. It was night and you could see the whole city,” he said. “I got to get a picture taken with the three Nebraska Heisman winners. Actually, our whole family was in the picture and it was our Christmas picture.”
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