The 2014-2015 school year has provided some great highlights in both cross country and track across the Sunshine State. In the coming weeks many of our seniors will head out to start their college careers both athletically and academically. We wanted to salute them one more time in this special feature and say thank you for your support over the years.
What was your most memorable race/moment?
My most memorable race was without a doubt the 2014 cross country finals, in which Chiles claimed their fourth cross country title in school history. After the letdown of a second place finish the year before, the boys and I were not about to walk off of Apalachee Regional Parkway without a win. Having lost my shoe two minutes into the race, I will always have the scars on my foot as a constant reminder of the grit this team had, that took us straight to the top.
Who would you consider your biggest competition over your four years?
I would argue that the best rivalry in the entire state took place within tallahassee. Both Chiles and Leon had talented squads my senior year, setting us on a collision course for a dramatic showdown at state. All the respect in the world to those guys though, we were fortunate to come out on top.
What was your greatest accomplishment?
Even with two track and field team titles in the books during my career, I still consider the aforementioned state cross country title to be my biggest accomplishment. That was something our entire class had bought into four years earlier and having that dream materialize was an incredible feeling.
If you could do it all over, what would you have done different in your career?
As shocking as this may be, I feel as if there were times I could have listened to my coach better, especially early in my career. Coach Gowan has the track record (hahahahahaha) and the experience to get the best out of his runners and I wish I had realized that earlier.
What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
While I was fortunate enough to stay relatively healthy during my career at Chiles, I did have a few isolated problems with injury. Most notably, my senior track season I battled an achilles injury for much of the season. Finally, after countless hours spent in the pool, I worked my way back only to get food poisoning a few days before the state meet.
What will you miss the most?
I'll miss this team more than anything. My freshman year, I played basketball as well, and decided to stick with just track after seeing the lack of chemistry between the basketball players. This team had a special bond and I believe that is part of what made us so successful on race day. Being best friends with your teammates makes it that much easier to put your trust in them when they're beside you on the course, or taking a baton from you on the track.
What advice would you give to younger athletes?
Buy in. If this is truly one of your passions, go above and beyond to make yourself the best you can be at it, whether that means adjusting your diet, skipping class to get a little extra sleep before race day, or ignoring pretty girls at meets to focus on your race. As I've always said, "you can make a stop sign go, as long as you get it to buy in."
What influence has your coach had on your performance and overall life goals?
I cannot thank coach Gowan enough for all that he has done for me, both as a runner and as a person. I entered his program a "mere jitterbug" yet am leaving it as an extraordinary butterfly. With all seriousness, I have nothing but respect for this man, even when we didn't see eye to eye.
What are your college plans?
I will be going pre-med at the University of Florida. I won't be running for their team, but you can catch me tearing up the intramural circuit next year.
Who would you like to say thank you to?
I'd like to thank Coach Gowan for constantly pushing me to better myself and for putting up with my antics for four years. I'd like to thank my teammate, Ty Murray, for sharing my twisted sense of humor and for smugly asking "Are you sure you want to do that?" any time I was about to eat something unhealthy. I'd also like to thank my parents for their unwavering support, God, Jesus, Blaine Thomas for his adorable attempts to impersonate my voice, Avery Bartlett for scoring lots of points for our team, and the rest of my teammates for just being incredible friends. Thank you all.
Seniors, don't be left out! Submit your Salute to Seniors answers to Todd.Grasley@flosports.tv and be featured on the site!