Palmetto Ridge senior Carlos Miranda is a three time regional champion and one of the best runners in Southwest Florida and in the state. Recently, Miranda ended his college recruitment by selecting the in state Florida Gators.
What was the recruiting process like for you?
The recruiting process was a great experience to learn about different programs and how different every coach is on there ways of training athletes whether it was high mileage, low mileage, or individual work.
What schools did you visit and why in the end did you choose UF?
The only school I went on a visit to was UF. I went to FSU camp the last two years(junior and senior) so I had a view of the atmosphere which were both amazing and I loved both. I chose UF in the end because I can really see myself working with Coach Spangler and Coach holloway along with the rest of the team.
What was your relationship with the coaching staff like?
My relationship with the coaching staff was a connection right when I got my first call. I feel a real good connection with Spangler and can see a lot of success already happening with both cross country and track especially.Coach Holloway is also a great coach. I spoke with him a bit on my visit, but not to much. I liked him right away too.
How did the recent success of the Gators program factor into your decision?
The recent success that the Gators program factored in my decision was the performance at Pre Nationals. The guys are all young so it's a great way to get into a program like that and just build the team.
They've had success with freshman runners as well. Do you feel you can go in there and make an early impact?
I feel like I will make an impact. I don't know if it'll be early since it will be a big adjustment going from 5k to the 8k and 10k. Track should be very interesting though. We've spoken about track a bit more than cross country. We were looking at the 1500 and 5k as the key events. I would like to try my best as well to help with cross country I see myself doing very well in that too.
I know you had some health issues this year and it probably didn't go quite as you had planned, but how would you sum up your high schoo cross country career?
I would sum up my cross country career as bitter sweet. I am a three time region champion, flrunners.com Invitational champion with the fastest time of the season, but then there is no state title. It's hard to think about, but everything happens for a reason even though it was health problems at the wrong moment, but there are better things to come.
What are you looking forward to most about being a Gator?
I am looking forward to being part of a family. Not only with my teammates and coaches, but with my classmates and other people that come into my life. I would want to mention a few goals, but I'd rather just let it all fall into place.
Personal Bests
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1,600 Meter Run4:19.50
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3200 Meter Run9:52.88
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5,000 Meter Run15:07.90
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