If anyone wants to get a gander at one of the most interesting students in Hopewell Valley Central High School, take in a boys’ cross country meet sometime this fall.
When Marko Van Selous comes across the finish line, rest assured he has had thoughts for the past 18 minutes that most of us wouldn’t even dare to ponder. It’s what one might expect from a guy who has four National Chess titles and is looking into a double college major that includes physics.
“The things I like to think about when I’m running are the physics I am learning, and chess,” the senior said. “I enjoy thinking about the topics I’ve learned about and applying my understanding to new scenarios to improve my understanding. After playing an interesting chess game, I work to better understand the ideas from the game and generalize them into larger themes.”
If that’s not impressive enough, he also has enough left in that mind to focus on the race at hand. And while Van Selous has not been a headline grabber over the years, Bulldogs coach Aaron Oldfield assured that he has been a key part of the program since his freshman season.
“This year we obviously depend on his senior leadership,” Oldfield said. “He’s very quiet, one of those kids who doesn’t really lead with his voice. I know it sounds cliché, but he leads by example and sets a great example. We’re a real strong team and he adds to the quality of our depth. He’s a super hard worker. He’s one of those guys, because he’s so quiet, he’s kind of taken for granted. We really count on him for a lot.”
Oldfield is looking for big things from this year’s team behind brothers Teddy and Sean Dolan, as well as Alex Dumont, Teddy Meredith, Will Titus, John O’Connor, Michael Pavicic and Van Selous.
“If they stay healthy and everything falls into place, we could do well in sectionals and states and get in that top three-to-six at the Meet of Champions,” the coach said. “Marko is probably in that six-seven-eight group behind our top guys. But at most schools he would be a top three and probably be a number one at some schools.”
Van Selous’ top time is 17:00 at Thompson Park, where the county and sectional meets are held. Oldfield is hoping he can break into the 16s this season.
As for being a top-three runner at another school, Van Selous does not dwell on that and embraces his situation.
“I enjoy the challenge of running with these guys and always pushing myself to become a better athlete,” he said. “I enjoy being able to run with a great group of guys and have a fun time.”
Van Selous has been running almost as long as he has been playing chess. In elementary school, he would tag along with his mom to run on the track, and he was a regular participant in Hopewell’s annual Pumpkin Run. He began running competitively in 6th grade for the Timberlane track and field team and opted for distance. The following year, Van Selous went out for cross country and has been there ever since.
His chess career began somewhat earlier, as his dad taught him how to play the game at the prodigy-like age of three. He showed such an aptitude for it, that he was immediately signed up for the Princeton Day School summer chess camp, where his coach introduced him to tournament play.
Using a razor-sharp mind that allows him to plot, maneuver and out-think opponents, Van Selous has been one of the best in his age group since he started. Chess uses an Elo rating system in which players gain and lose points based on the outcome of the game. The competition can be grueling, as a typical game can last between three and six hours, and tournaments go from one to three days. Van Selous has a current rating of 1799, placing him in the top three percent of New Jersey minors, and he recently tied for second place at the World Open in Philadelphia.
With chess and cross country being such mental competitions, Van Selous said, “Yes and no,” when asked if he can use one to help with the other.
“Preparing for a race consists of training and planning,” he said. “The strategy for every race is dependent on the course. Preparing for a tournament consists of learning aspects of the game such as opening theory, and improving your play style. The actual games require you to use your understanding and apply it to new positions.”
While it sounds like chess and cross country takes up most of his time, what’s even more impressive is that it’s only part of the Van Selous package. He has a GPA of 91.688, is president and founder of the Hopewell Valley Chess Club and treasurer of the German Club. He has been a Boy Scout since first grade and is an active member of Troop 1776. For his Eagle Scout project he designed and built rabies tables for the Ewing Health Department.
In the classroom, he finished the HVCHS math curriculum early in order to start learning relativity and quantum mechanics. This year he is taking linear algebra and differential equations courses through Stanford Online.
He has yet to choose a college but intends on double majoring in math and physics.
“I am looking for a strong research program so I can get as much experience as possible for grad school,” Van Selous said. “I have always been fascinated by physics. During my freshman year I was fortunate to meet Princeton professor Peter Meyers. He introduced me to the subject with book recommendations, which have familiarized me with some of the major topics being researched today.”
And while his academic future is mapped out, he hopes not to say goodbye to running and would like to continue with cross country.
“I will still enjoy running with a team for the fun of it,” he said.
In this case, fun includes thinking about pawns, rooks, bishops and the beginning of time.
Marko Van Selous (front left) participating in a chess tournament in Parsippany in 2015.,
