Thomas Howell remembers the first time he ran. It was the mile run in elementary school and it was for a grade. He knew he was quick and as a fifth grader posted the fastest time in the school. Needless to say I'm sure he received a good grade. In middle school his future as a distance runner became apparent when he began winning races his 7th grade cross country season. The Niceville sophomore says from there it was just a gradual climb.
"I was in shock because I never would have expected to be as good as I was from there. As an 8th grader for cross country there was no state race, but I won my county, region and went to AAU Nationals. I was injured and limped across the line in 13th place. Then I went to the Middle School State Championships for track and won the 1500 and placed third in the state for the 800."
His love for cross country sprung from a passion for another sport, soccer. Howell started running to stay in shape for soccer. He has an older brother that played, but no family members that ever ran. As a freshman in high school, he would have to decide between the two.
"I chose running over soccer in high school. The double training was too hard on my body and my mind. Running cross country did help with soccer, but in high school the Niceville soccer team trains in the summer as well and the coach is very strict about his athletes being out there. I was running hard in the morning and then going back out in the afternoon, lifting weights, and busting my butt. I have played soccer every year since I was like four or five and stopped just last year. I chose running over soccer because I believe that running could take me really far in life."
The decision to give up soccer was a hard one but it allowed Howell to focus on running. It is a move that has been rewarding. As a freshman he placed fifth in the 3200 and sixth in cross country leading the Eagles to a fourth place finish. His personal best time of 9:24.93 is the fastest time by a freshman in the state of Florida since 2002 and his 15:40.02 5k is one of the top times by a freshman nationwide. Although he dropped his times and became an experienced runner, which were two of his goals, he says he still isn't satisfied.
"I grew exponentially as a runner with new experiences and new views on training and racing. I know I could have pushed a little farther and broken a few more barriers that I did. I definitely need to have a more focused mind when it comes to training, but when I talk about my future times and goals you have to understand some things. I always set high goals and have always been able to reach them so I want to set goals impossibly high and show myself that I am going to have to work much harder than anybody's expectations, including my own. My 5k goal is to break 15. It's crazy, but I will fight to reach it. I also want to feel like I did my best and became a better runner overall."
Howell also wants to make his teammates better. Their training has consisted of distance running and interval training like 200's and 400's. Fellow sophomore Nick Morken is someone Howell expects to step up this season and make an impact for the Eagles.
"Nick and I are a very strong duo on the team. We push each other in workouts and he is probably my number one motivating factor in my training. We have been running together since 7th grade track. I convinced him to come out and run and he was pretty fast. I would not be anywhere near as fast as I am if Nick wouldn't have been chasing me down these past years. It has made him a much faster athlete as well. We are best friends in our social life and I believe our running relationship is the secret to our success as runners."
Howell believes not only is running in the Panhandle underappreciated, but so is the sport as a whole.
"I actually feel like the Panhandle is the strongest area for cross country runners and in my opinion it is the hardest region, but I also believe that the talent that is hidden in the Panhandle should be recognized more often. I feel that cross country is a very unrecognized and underestimated sport when you compare it to team sports like football and soccer. We must go out and find kids who could become great runners instead of leaving them to waist their God-given talent on something like football. It's not that some people aren't made for football; I love and respect football. I know that the skinny kids on the bench could be much better used in our sport. I try to reach out to those left in the dust on other teams and give them a dream, an opportunity to start over new in cross country."
Personal Bests
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1600 Meter Run4:28.56
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3200 Meter Run9:24.93
5000 Meter Run15:40.02
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