By Becky Malkovich, The Southern

INA - As he runs around and around the Rend Lake College track swift and sure, Boaz Lalang keeps his eyes focused on what lies ahead: A shot at a world record, a possible Olympic berth, a much-treasured education, but most of all, a better life.

With a time of 3:37.62, Lalang, an RLC freshman, holds this season's fastest time in the 1,500-meter, roughly the equivalent of an Olympic mile, his coach, Brent McLain, said.

"And that's not just the fastest junior college time, or collegiate time, or U.S. time or in his age group time. That's the fastest time in the world right now," McLain said.

But that's not all.

Lalang "has a real shot" at breaking a junior world record in the 800-meter run when he races in the Oregon Twilight competition in Eugene, Ore., Friday night, McLain said.

And one more thing: Lalang has been invited to the Olympic trials in his native Kenya this summer, a feat made even more impressive by the quality of runners - historically some of the best in the world - that country produces.

The list of accomplishments is enough to make most of his teenage cohorts blush with pride, but Lalang, 19, is taking it all in modest stride.

"Right now, I can say I am better because of the kind of training Coach McLain gives me. I've done my best and I hope to improve on that," Lalang said. "When I've broken the record, I will say I have done something."

Lalang started running when he was in high school and competed all four years.

"We run because of the climate there, and also because you have to struggle. Running is the best way for us to achieve a better life. It offers us opportunity," he said.