Tyrese Cooper set the world on fire as an eighth grader, and that was just the beginning. In his very first high school track meet, he ran 21.54 in the 200 and 47.97 in the 400, obliterating the previously standing freshman class national records. We spoke with him on the phone this week to find out what's next.
MileSplit: What was your mindset before the season opener, where you broke two freshman national records?
Tyrese Cooper: I was nervous to go race Keshun Reed. And my coach was making me more nervous, saying I was going to lose, saying Keshun was gonna whoop me down. I was scared! And when I'm scared, I run faster.
What are your goals?
In the 400, my goal is to go 44 and become the first to go 44-mid. In the two, I want to break all the records. I want to run 19.9.
Indoors, I'm gonna try to go 46.9 or 46-mid in the indoor 400 and 20.9 in the indoor 200.
[Some notes: Before this year, 48.76 and 21.95 were the indoor national freshman records. They were set in 1985 and 2001, respectively. Only Darrell Robinson, the outdoor national record holder at 44.69, has ever broken 45 seconds in high school. He did it in 1982. And after this interview, Cooper's coach Darius Lawshea told me that he wants Cooper to break the national records in the 55 and 60, too.]
Damn. 19.9 this year? No high schooler has ever done that.
Yeah, this year. It will be broken this year.
How did you get the nickname "Smoke"?
I got it from football. I play wide receiver and defensive back, and return kicks.
Are you going to keep playing football, or focus on track?
After tenth grade year, I'm going to focus on track.
How does the Miami Gardens Xpress motto of "Mind, Body, Soul" apply to you?
Without the mind, you can't move the body. Without the soul, you ain't got nobody. I keep that in mind. And that's key. Don't settle, be great. So I never settle. I'm never satisfied.
Are you thinking past this year at all?
Eventually, I want to go pro. But not until after I finish school.
Has running so fast so young put any extra pressure on you?
Yeah, everyone on the team is mad. But my coach Darius keeps pushing me to do great stuff. And he always puts school first. It's a lot!
What's a typical week of training that Coach Darius gives you?
We start with Mile Mondays, where we run long distance, like two or three miles. On Tuesdays, we have mid-distance, like 200s, 400s, 800s. Wednesday, we don't have practice. Thursdays and Fridays, we have sprints. We do 250s, 150s, 40s, and starts.
Do you have a go-to pre-race meal?
I do not eat before races. It might come up, I might throw up.
I want to race Usain Bolt, but he's going to retire. I want to race against Trayvon Bromell, I want to race against Bromell and Bolt.
