I started running when I was a junior in high school. The reason for the late start in running was that the two years prior I played on the Archbishop Curley Varsity football squad. When I took my first steps, I was horrible. However, I worked hard and by the first meet I was the number three runner and stayed in that spot all year. There were two reasons for me to quit football and start running. One, to get in shape for wrestling, and two, I knew I would never be a college scholarship football player, but I could be a scholarship runner.

I finally got serious about running in my senior year at Curley. I was the number one runner, won several invitational meets, had only one defeat in dual meets, and was selected to the All Baltimore City/County and All Metro teams. Also, I was second in the National Age Group Championships. I ran indoor track and wrestled in the same season, finishing with a 4:42 mile, 10:06 two-mile, and a 14-2 wrestling season. I was also elected to the Maryland Private School All Star Team.

I finished out my last year in high school with a disappointing track season with a 4:34 mile, and a 9:59 two-mile. I ran numerous road races over the summer, lowering all my PRs (1500-4:08, mile-4:23, two-mile-9:41, 5K- 15:36, ten-mile-56:34).

I am taking a year off from school and working full time at Holabird Sports, so I can attend Towson University in the fall. My short-term goals are to break fifteen minutes in a 5K, and to go sub-32:00 in a 10K, all by the time I am nineteen. My long-term goals are to finish college; also qualify for the NCAA Division I Championships. After college, I plan to take a year and run several road races to earn money to travel. My destination will be Colorado or Kenya and train at a high altitude for one year. Then I hope to return home, try out for the US Team and go to the Olympics in 2004.

Tony Diem has moved up to number twenty-four in the open division for the summer ranking period. He ran eleven races under the 34:20 10K equivalent qualifying times, including a 15:42 age group win at Spirit of the Gettysburg 5K.