The transition from middle to high school can be an intimidating rite of passage. When you're a middle school cross country star moving on to be a 4A high school freshman, it can be even tougher. But Brandon Marquez is taking it all in stride.
This soon-to-be Timber Creek freshman dominated as a distance runner for Avalon Middle School, but his career began when he was barely out of diapers. As a five-year-old living in New Jersey he entered local meets to keep up with his dad and sister's running and, as he says, to win more medals and trophies than them.
"Then when I moved to Florida a year later, the sport stuck with me, and I started running AAU meets from there," he said. "I guess you can say they were my original inspiration."
He's come a long way since his toddler running days: during his three years of middle school he won the 3000-meter races at both States and the AAU Cross Country Nationals, the two mile at the flrunners.com Invitational and the 1500 and 3000 meters at the USATF National Junior Olympics. But even then he didn't quite reach all the goals he had hoped for.
What eluded him was the track State Championship this past year. He suffered a leg injury in early March that hindered his performance. He spent most of the track season recovering.
"By the time State came around, I just wasn't in the shape I was that would put me in position to win," he said. "So it was disappointing I couldn't compete, but now all I care about is this cross country season."
Winning cross country States last year was definitely a highlight for Marquez, and the experience he gained will help him move forward into high school. Despite his many past successes, he is surprisingly calm about the higher level of competition he will soon face.
"Honestly, I have put pressure on myself before. But am I putting pressure on myself now? Not at all," he said. "Becoming a freshman is great in its own ways -- I'm back at the bottom of the class and I can only prove myself this year and show what I'm capable of doing. It's a nice fresh start."
"I have been itching for a high school cross country season since middle school and I can't wait to race against older runners. I love competition and this is as good as it gets for me right now."
He loves the challenges, and there will be plenty of them. Some of his middle school rivals are also starting their freshmen seasons this year, including Jesse Millson (Trinity Prep), Nic Jacobsen (St. Andrews) and Gabe Correa (Ransom Everglades). That short list doesn't even include the older runners he will face in the near future.
"Many have been lucky to train with their schools from 6th grade to now, but I feel like I should just worry about myself. I can't control what they run, and they can't control what I run," he said.
For Marquez, the longer and harder the run, the more he enjoys it. One of his favorite races is the 3000-meter, though the 5000 was recently added to the top of his favorites list.
"I like being able to have room to work throughout a race. The longer the event has been, the more I feel comfortable," he said.
With the prospect of stiff competition ahead, one would think that Marquez had specific times or PR's to achieve for this year. That's not necessarily the case, as this runner has other goals in mind.
"I just want to have fun this freshman year. I have four years ahead of me, and this season I just want to train hard like I'm used to and try to produce in races like I have done before, he said. "If I do that, I think I'll be fine, and not regret anything when the season ends."
From toddlerhood to new high school student, Marquez has proved himself to be a strong runner. No one can say what the future holds, but this kid has the skills and the guts to make this next season of his life just as successful as the past.
