What was your most memorable meet?
Although almost every meet was awesome, I would have to choose the Cullman Classic my junior year. My team and I couldn’t get over how nice the new stadium looked. Our host team was severely understaffed so we got close to four or five hours behind. In this meet I first broke 5 minutes in the 1600m and six hours later won the 4x400m at midnight.
Where did you face your biggest competition?
I faced my biggest competition at the Bob Jones Invitational both years I’ve been on track. In my junior year, I raced against five of my other teammates and another runner in the 400m. We all finished within a second of each other! This past year I won my heat of the 800m by one hundredth of a second to a runner from Oxford.
If you could do it all over again, what would you change about your running career in high school?
I would definitely have joined the track/cross country team much earlier than my junior year.
What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
Since I was coming from being the fastest runner in JROTC and my Civil Air Patrol Squadron, I had to unlearn almost everything I knew about running (most notable the change in diet).
What will you miss the most?
I will definitely miss the thrill of competition and my teammates. They helped give running that distance-style attitude.
Do you have any advice for younger athletes?
Take your rest days seriously and don’t slack off when you’re expected to work. Have fun with the sport or leave.
What are your post-high school or college plans?
I am attending the Citadel Military College of South Carolina this fall. I’m taking my freshman year off before I decide on whether to continue running track or transfer over to rugby.
Who would you like to say thank you to?
I’d like to definitely thank my teammates for making running such an awesome sport. I’d definitely like to thank my coaches, Stephen Baker and Terrance Young. And I’d like to thank my parents for providing me with the greatest post-race meals.