Racing toward heaven
Cooper Lutkenhaus, center, with his brothers, Andrew, left, and George along with his parents George and Tricia are shown at St. Mark Parish in Argyle. (NTC/Kevin Bartram)
Winning is business as usual for Cooper Lutkenhaus, who ranks as one of the fastest men in the world.
But it was actually in defeat that the member of St. Mark Parish in Argyle was catapulted to track and field’s center stage this past August.
The scene was Oregon’s storied Hayward Field, and the occasion was the USA Track and Field Championships. Lutkenhaus turned on the jets for a close second place finish in the men’s 800-meter final, his time of 1:42.27 the sixth-fastest in the world for 2025.
The result set off a flurry of events. Lutkenhaus qualified for the World Championships in Tokyo. He picked up an agent, turned pro, and signed with Nike. It’s a likely story for an athlete with his elite level of talent — but the twist is that Lutkenhaus is just 16.
As such, he is the youngest man to ever run for Team USA in a world championship, which was in September. As part of his journey to that point, Lutkenhaus won two state titles and five national titles, plus set multiple records that include the world standard for 18 and under runners in the 800.
In the midst of all the fresh fame, however, remains a young man focused on his faith. Lutkenhaus currently is a confirmation candidate preparing to receive the sacrament in May.
Faith over fame
St. Mark is the home parish for his parents, George and Tricia, who both have leadership roles at Northwest ISD in Justin, and his brothers, George Jr., a former Division 2 swimmer, and Andrew, a Division 1 runner.
Cooper, a junior at Northwest High School, is fully “plugged in” to the confirmation program, said Charlie Berneche, coordinator of youth ministry at St. Mark.
“So many kids, if they were to be given the world, there’s that very easy temptation to be like, ‘I don’t need the faith,’” Berneche said. “But no, he’s very much plugged in. That’s probably the biggest thing: his poise, maturity, and his humility in the program. Humility. I’ve seen a lot of that from him.
“Getting to meet him and his parents, it’s definitely evident that the faith is a foundation for them, for that whole household. [As Scripture says, you’ll know the tree by its fruits.] The fact that he’s displaying all these very admirable qualities ties the fruits into the health of the tree, the foundation of the faith.”
Family ties
Cooper’s choice of confirmation name represents some of his family history.
“I chose St. Christopher as my saint for a couple reasons,” he said. “My grandmother has given my brothers and me a St. Christopher medallion for our cars when we all got our driver license to keep us safe when we travel. I thought it would be appropriate to use him as my confirmation saint, knowing all the travel that I have ahead of me the next several years. In a way, my grandmother selected him for me without even knowing it.”
Lutkenhaus will have two sponsors, aunts Laura Fisher and Donna Neu.
“They stood with my brothers during their confirmations,” he said, “so I asked that they both be a part of my confirmation.”
He also will have the encouragement of his brothers.
“It’s hard to believe he is already preparing for confirmation,” said George Jr. “I remember walking him down to the front of church to get his children’s bulletin at the end of Mass. It’s clear he has improved in his faith and knows it’s his turn to take control of what he puts into and gets out of the Church.”
A natural talent
Cooper is indeed integrating his Catholic values into this new phase of his life, which includes participation in the Nike Elite Program.
“I think the biggest thing about my faith that I try to bring to the group is to ‘just be a good guy,’” he said. “Learning how to follow the ways of Christ and ‘be a good guy.’ Take care of others, help others when you can, and be someone that others can depend on.”
On the track, Cooper is a natural, according to George Sr.
“Physically, he has been gifted with that rare combination of speed and endurance that suits the 800 meters so well,” George said. “More important than anything, though, is his ability to handle pressure situations with his standard, ‘It’s just running’ attitude. He does a good job of not overcomplicating situations and controls himself well in big moments. Pretty rare for a 16-year-old.”
So rare, the family found itself in unprecedented territory after the national finals in August.
“We leaned significantly on our faith over the summer,” Tricia said. “Things and decisions came fast and furious in a short amount of time. It always came back to faith in God and faith in family to make decisions.
“Cooper is fortunate to be surrounded by a large family and a school that looks out for him. We always tell people we never turn down free advice and sometimes the best place to get that is to just look up!”
Staying the course
Andrew has been impressed with his younger brother in many areas.
“Few 16-year-olds could handle the pressure that he has gone through,” he said. “It comes with ups and downs. I think he has the perfect mentality and really looks forward to big moments. He is fortunate to be surrounded by lots of people who just want to see him succeed and be the best person he can be — no matter what the clock or race results say. When it’s all said and done, running is something he gets to do, but it’s not who he is.”
As for Cooper, he said training offers quiet moments for spiritual reflection at times. His favorite Bible verse is Philippians 4:13. It reads, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
“It’s a pretty standard verse that you see throughout the athletic world, of course,” he said. “I would never ask for God to bring me a victory. He has enough to worry about. I do ask that He gives me strength and courage as I step out onto the track. Sometimes those moments can be overwhelming. I just appreciate the gift He has given me and hope I can use it to the best of my ability.”