Thanks for joining us everyone! Today I have Erick Montoya with us, Erick was one of the top runners in the nation a few years back. Erick placed 5th at Nike outdoor nationals in the 1600 Meter with a time of 4:18.14, he was also an 8-time runner up in track and xc. Upon graduation Erick took his skills to Gainesville, Fl. where he competed with the Gators for one year. Now Erick is doing even bigger things, read and find out what this heroic young man is up to and accomplishing!

Danny Duncan: Who introduced you to the sport of Cross Country and Track? 

Erick Montoya: “The person who introduced me to the sport of XC and Track, would of been my child hood friend Jose Farnot. Jose and I were both in middle school and he was bragging to the whole class about how fast he was, I decided to play along and act like I was faster but really i wasn’t. After school we took it to the track for tryouts, and it started from there. Yeah, he ended up being the faster one.”

Danny Duncan: I remember watching you run in high school, you earned quite a few runner-up titles. How did it feel to never win that state title?

Erick Montoya: “I was an 8 time state runner up all through out High school. 

• 2 – Cross Country my junior & senior year.
• 1-  Team runner up senior year
• 5- The rest were from track & field, a mixture of the 1600M and 3200M. 

Of course it felt bad, but by not winning a State title it really made me keep my competitive nature throughout everything i do in life. Who knows if winning one could have changed me.”

Danny Duncan: How was it adjusting from competing in high school to competing for UF?

Erick Montoya: “Adjusting From High school to UF was a huge Change, I was used to doing alot of speed workouts and then going out and running hard for 80 minutes, it was a gradual buildup to pick up more endurance along the way. It was also a huge change for me to keep up with faster runners on the team, instead of being the one who always pushed the pace throughout high school training, so that took alot of adjusting.”

Danny Duncan: How did the recruitment process with the University of Florida happen? did you always plan on running for them?

Erick Montoya: “Actually no, that was never the plan. At first I had told Coach Morgan that I was in the process of enlisting with the Marines and all of a sudden he arrived at my school, they called me in and I was pretty much convinced that I should give college a shot. My mind was always set on serving in the Military, as a child it’s something I have always wanted to do. Running competitive was just something I enjoyed but didn’t think it would take me that far.”

Danny Duncan: Who has most influenced your life and turned you into the man you are today?

Erick Montoya: “The person who most influenced me was easily, Coach Sommer from Estero High. Coming in as a freshman and not knowing how to clearly run with passion, or keep up with school and wanting to skim through it all and hang out with the wrong crowds of people. He definitely set the bar high for me, he saw something in me that others really didn’t. He believed in me and changed me for the better. Coach Sommer drilled discipline, desire & dedication into all of us. It’s something he teaches all of his runners past and present to feed off of by setting a strict training schedule that starts at 5:15 A.M. sharp. He was always making sure my grades were on top and to see how I was doing at home, since I was going through rough patch during that time.”

Danny Duncan: What do you recommend for high school athletes trying to earn a scholarship for running? 

Erick Montoya: “I recommend that they put in the work. Listen to your coaches, give it your all and then some. not 95% but 110%+ during practice and in everything you do, because as we say over here in the Grunt world “The way you train, is the way you will fight.” well, that goes the same for practice. Never give up, constantly write to coaches letting them know you’re interested in taking your running to the next level.”

Danny Duncan: Why did you choose to join the army?

Erick Montoya: “I chose the Army because I wanted to make sure that I was going to get the correct job that I chose, which was Infantry. Also with the Army, it’s a lot easier to get chosen for special schools along the way if you show potential.”

Danny Duncan: How has being an endurance athlete helped you while serving in the Army? 

Erick Montoya: “Coming from a strong endurance athletic background sure did help me a lot on pretty much every physical and mental demanding challenge that the Army Infantry Training had to throw at me. It really did set me apart right away from all my teammates “battle buddies”. Coming into basic only weighing roughly 130 pounds at 5′ 8″ wasn’t exactly easy for me though, when I had to ruck or carry 75% of my weight.”

Danny Duncan: While serving in the Army, what has been your most memorable moment?

Erick Montoya: “My most memorable moment would have to be my Deployment to Afghanistan “Operation Enduring Freedom 2012″ because, I was able to fully understand my Job, had the privileged to experience combat, engage the enemy many times, make a long last friendship with my new brothers. It’s something that only someone who has served, bled, sweat, sacrificed, shed with you would comprehend.”

Danny Duncan: Have you competed at all since you joined the military?

Erick Montoya: “No, I have not. The only thing I do now to maintain myself in the proper shape is a lot of Crossfit/Sealfit to stay on top of my game. It has helped me to gain superior strength and gain size for the kind of rough job I do since i’m always carrying loads of weight on my body.”

Danny Duncan: What are your future plans with athletics? 

Erick Montoya: “For now I do see myself returning to the sport of running, I just don’t want to get all into it while I’m in the Army as an Infantry Paratrooper, because being extremely skinny again won’t exactly help me out much on my job.”

Danny Duncan: Do you ever plan on running in college again?

Erick Montoya: “Yes, I sure do if the chance opens up again. Count on me to take my previous running PR’s to a whole new level.”

Danny Duncan: What is your favorite thing about being in the army? 

Erick Montoya: “Favorite thing would have to be all the tactical training I receive in engaging the enemy effectively. The Shooting ranges.”

Danny Duncan: Do you ever plan on trying out for the Army rangers?

Erick Montoya: “12/4/12 I’m trying out to be a scout, so if I make the cut then the next thing will be getting sent to Ranger School which isn’t Ranger Battalion where you become an actual Ranger. You just become Ranger Certified which is still an Elite school.”

I want to wish Erick the best on his tryout today, and for the rest of his career! Thank you so much for defending our country Erick, you are the definition of an American Hero! Keep up the great work we all appreciate it. 

Erick Montoya: Fl.runners profile

Follow me for more on twitter @DannyDuncanPT