Athlete Name: Matisse Miller
School: Pleasant Valley High School
What was your most memorable meet and why? 2018 outdoor track state. It was very memorable because my brother is off in the marines and we have grown up together talking about how we wanted to be state champions and he always believed in me and i ended up winning my first 2 state titles
Where did you face your biggest competition? My biggest competition was the footlocker cross country south regionals race. I race in the seniors classification and it was absolutely packed full of kids that were my speed or much faster
Out of all of your high school accomplishments, which stands out the most and why? My 1600,800 state titles because i was running for a higher purpose and i broke my 25 year old school records.
If you could do it all over again, what would you change about your running career in high school? If i could change anything it would be starting sooner and putting more miles on my feet in the summer. I was never too fast in cross country because i wouldnt run a lot in the summer
What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome during your HS Track career? My 9th grade year i tore my hamstring in the mile at state and 11th grade cross country season i fractured the growth plates in both my hips at the beginning of the season and ended up pushing through and running at state. My time was awful but i wanted to show my team that i was never going to give up on them
What will you miss the most? I will miss my high school team and running against high school competition.
Do you have any advice for younger athletes? My advice would be to completely put your heart into it if it is what you love. It will be tough at times. Your coach will make you so mad that you want to quit sometimes but you have to push through and better yourself to prove everyone wrong that ever doubted you. And ALWAYS PUT GOD FIRST AND GIVE HIM THE GLORY IN THE WINS AND LOSSES
What are your post-highschool or college plans? I will be running at Jacksonville State University (JSU)
Who would you like to say thank you to? I would like to thank god because without him nothing is possible. I would like to that my mom for always loving me unconditionally and believing in me. To my brother who always hyped me up before races and i know has been praying for me while he has been away. To my coaches who have pushed me everyday to better myself and helped me reach the next level. And all my friends who supported me every meet. And last but not least my father who never missed a single meet and always went above and beyond to give me the best career possible. He spent countless hours at the track getting splits for me and although it could get boring he never one time complained. And for that i am very grateful!
