Most high school standout athletes are very popular in their own school and recognized around the town they grow up in. If they’re good enough, they get statewide recognition and a picture on the school’s wall of fame.
Durango’s Seamus Millett won a state championship at Durango High School this year as a member of the school’s cross country team, but running for the Demons was just part of his training.
Millett is simply on another level, and state titles aren’t what he’s after.
The DHS senior is 16-years-old and he will graduate at the end of this school year, which is very impressive by itself. He currently carries a 4.1 grade point average and is graduating two years early. He’s headed to Colorado School of Mines because of his love for math and science.
Though any parent would be thrilled at this kind of success and acceptance into an elite academic institution at his age, academics aren’t Millett’s bread and butter either.
Millett is one of the top pentathletes in his age group in the entire world. He’s competed with the letters “U.S.A.” somewhere on his jersey on three continents and has garnered international recognition for his talent and sportsmanship. The years 2020 and 2024 are on Millett’s radar and he isn’t planning on running for president – he’s an Olympic hopeful.
“Seamus is one of those exceptional people we rarely come across,” said Durango High School head cross-country coach David McMillan in a phone interview with The Durango Herald. “He’s been with us since he was 12-years-old and he’s such a delightful young man as well as a world class athlete. His work ethic and his attitude are extraordinary for his age. He swims thousands of meters before school, comes out of class with straight A’s and runs for miles before he goes home. He’s a special young man.”
The modern pentathlon is made up of five events: fencing, pistol shooting, horse riding, swimming and running. Millett didn’t hop on a horse or pick up a laser-sighted pistol and suddenly decide that he wants to be a pentathlete; he comes from a bloodline of superior talent in all sorts of athletic disciplines.
His great-grandfather, Clifford Furnas, was a participant in the 1920 Antwerpen, Belgium Summer Olympic Games as a marathon runner.
His mother was a world class pentathlete in the 1980’s and had her sights set on the 1984 games.
At the time, however, women weren’t allowed to compete in the penathlon because it was a military controlled sport that women were left out of until the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia.
“I saw some pictures in an old photo album of my mom competing and I wanted to try it,” said Millett, son of James Millett and Jennifer Thurston. “We had a group of people start the fencing club and I was already a good runner so it came naturally to me. I had my first pentathlon camp when I was 12 and I totally fell in love with it.”
At the 2015 Youth Nationals in Colorado Springs, Millett finished at the top in two groups.
Just like in school and on the cross-country courses, he didn’t only out-do the kids in his age group, he bested the 17-and 18-year olds, too. He was the youngest top finisher at the 2015 Pan-American Games and was the top American at the 2015 Youth World Championships with a seventh place qualifying finish and a memorable showing in the finals.
“I made the top-36 in the world in Buenos Aires and that was an honor,” Millett said. “There was this moment as I was looking around at the starting line thinking ‘these are the best athletes in the world and I’m here with them’ which was almost surreal. I try not to get distracted like that so most of the time I’ll put the U.S.A. fencing jacket on and tell myself, ‘This is who I am and this is what I do’ so I don’t lose focus.”
Millett made it all the way to the finals in the fencing competition in Buenos Aires.
In the bonus round, a critical stretch in a fencing bout, he was awarded a point that he didn’t deserve. Instead of taking the point, as most international competitors normally do, Millett stopped the bout and told the judge he hit the floor instead of his opponent. The point was taken away and he lost the bout as a result of his selfless act.
In November, at the International Penathlon Conference, Millett was awarded the Coubertin Fair Play Award for his act of sportsmanship. The award is given to one pentathlete in the world, regardless of age, and the 16-year-old Durango senior was most worthy this time around.
“It was amazing for me to see how much attention it got,” he said. “We found out in an email, and then the school district posted something about it and it became a big deal. The way I see it is that I won the award for being a good sport and it was awesome for me to see that the lessons I’ve learned from Coach Mac (David McMillan) and other pentathletes about being a good sport and being honest really matter. I got more recognition for losing and acting as a good sportsman than I would have if I’d won the bout.”
Millett is headed to California after the holiday for training in the horse riding aspect of the pentathlon and fencing, which is his strongest event.
“Athletically, the focus is the 2020 Olympic Games,” Millett said. “Pentathlon is a lifelong sport and most people hit their prime in their late 20’s so, 2020, 2024 and maybe 2028 is the focus for me. I’ll also be working toward an engineering degree in the meantime.”
jfries@ durangoherald.com
Behind the scenes
What was your favorite christmas present as a kid?: I think I was 12 when I got my first laser pistol and that was really cool.
Where is the coolest place you’ve competed?: Budapest, Hungary. It was my first trip to Europe and I had some time to tour the city for the day and it was incredible. It was a whole new experience coming from a small town like Durango.
Who is your favorite athlete?: U.S.A. Pentathlete Nathan Schrimsher. I admire him for his ability in our sport and he came from a small town like I did and put in a lot of work to get to where he is. He’s helped me a lot.
What is your Favorite book from childhood?: The Ranger’s Apprentice series by John Flanagan. I was kind of like a medieval times series of stories with archers and knights.
Which teacher was most influential for you?: My spanish teacher and assistant cross country coach Brett Wilson has helped me a lot. My fourth grade teacher Rob Rich was also someone who helped me grow.
What is your favorite david mcmillan quote?: He has a ton and his accent makes them funny. The one that gets me every time is, “Do you need a piece of gum? Does your mouth taste like the inside of a camel’s armpit?”
What song is stuck in your head right now?: I like the Alabama Shakes a lot right now. So, “Always Alright” by Alabama Shakes.
what is your favorite restaurant in durango?: I don’t go out to eat a lot but I love Macho’s.
what is your favorite outdoor activity?: Hiking. I like to hike the La Plata Mountains.
where would you like to visit that you’ve never been?: More of South America. I’d like to go to Peru and see Machu Picchu.
