Every morning before the first bell rings, Michael McCart is already lacing up his running shoes. A senior at Prosper High School, McCart’s day starts on the track and ends with a goal to make it to state. Running has been part of McCart’s life since early childhood.
“I started running when I was like 3 or 4,” McCart said. “I did a lot of smaller 5K runs like the Houston 5K with my parents. Both my parents were college runners and state champs in high school. That motivated me to become a runner myself because I wanted to beat them.”
McCart explained that he developed discipline from his training.
“You’re not going to get better unless you work on it,” McCart said. “Your time is your time.”
Last summer, McCart suffered a setback that tested that discipline. During a running camp, he fractured his ankle. Despite the injury, he continued running through the entire cross country season.
“At regionals, I barely finished the race,” Mccart said. “It got so bad at that point.”
After taking a break during the spring track season to recover, McCart returned over the summer healthy and ready to compete at a higher level this fall. He now focuses on improvement and team goals with the support of his teammates during tough workouts.
“Say we’re doing 400 repeats on the track,” McCart said. “If I’m slowing down, I’ll see my teammates encouraging me, cheering me on.”
McCart placed fourth in the Junior Olympics 1500-meter event last summer, including a strong performance at the Oklahoma State University meet and a standout race at district. To McCart, balancing school and sports hasn’t been a challenge for him.
“I run in the morning, and then I’m really done with it for the day,” McCart said. “It’s not that much different from a normal student’s workload.”
McCart said he plans to run cross country and long-distance track events at the college level.
“That’s one of the main factors for where I’m going to college,” McCart said. “I want to run cross country, and the longer track races.”
Throughout his time being on the cross country team, McCart said he’s gained experience, and has been improving his skills in cross country.
“My goal this season is to make it to state,” McCart said. “I want to be there not just to run — I want to win.”
This article was edited by Elise Leavitt, Landon Byrom, Kate Duncan and Polly Greaves
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