Mikaela Owen '20 Recruiting Profile

My running career in track debuted in 7th grade for that was the first year I could compete in this sport. I had run cross country the year before and was okay at it, but after running sprints in track I knew this was my calling. With every race I trimmed down my time and had a blast doing it. In the beginning of my 8th grade year, I began using blocks and learning more about running mechanics and form to lower my times. That is when my real competitiveness began to show. Getting first place was always a goal for me, but it soon became a regular occurrence. I used my knowledge I had gained from an indoor track coach, Aaron Cox, to help build my strength from coming out of the blocks to finishing. That year, the coaching I received led me to be successful in indoor track where I qualified for state in the 60 meter dash as an 8th grader.

Moving on to my freshman year, I continued my path on getting stronger and over the course of the season, broke both the 100 and 200 meter dash school records and qualified for state in the 100 meter. State by far was one of the best experiences of my life. I learned so much from being able to compete at such a high level. Going into the finals in 8th place, I knew I had to work hard to be all-state (only the top seven qualify). So when it came down to it, I gave it my all and let my inner competitiveness take charge to secure my spot in 7th place. Being able to say I am an All-State athlete as a freshman is one of my best memories, and I’m looking forward to improving as I continue my path in track.