Madison Jeffries '22 Recruiting Profile

Running has been my passion ever since I joined my middle school track team in the seventh grade. After competing in a variety of sports at a young age including volleyball, basketball, and even gymnastics, my love for track and field remains unrivaled. From a young age, it was clear that I was very competitive and faster than most kids. My dad and coaches noticed this when I started beating the boys every time we had a consequence in basketball practice. I continued to play basketball throughout middle school up until my freshman year of high school when I made the decision to solely focus on track and field. Since I began to compete, I have enjoyed watching and learning more about the sport and following athletes that I admire. While I have done well over the course of my career, I did have a period in my life where I suffered from severe breathing problems. There was a time where I had to take a whole semester off from school to make doctor's visits on a day to day basis. I could not go anywhere without my inhaler or breathing nebulizer by my side. Sometimes I would even have to sit out from recess because my body was not getting the proper oxygen flow it needed during play. This set me apart from many of the boys and girls my age, but I did not truly realize it until I started running track competitively. I saw that whenever I would finish a race, my breathing and heart rate would take a lot longer to slow down than those that I was competing against. It was not until the spring of my seventh-grade year when my parents and I decided that it would be in my best interest to undergo a surgery that would remove the blockages that were preventing me from breathing properly. It was just a week after I had surgery that I had to compete in my middle school district meet, however, I still managed to win all three of my events. Although my breathing complications were a setback, it made me work harder to get to where I am today. Now, I have the honor of becoming an 8x All-American, 1x National Record Holder, Texas UIL 5A State Finalist, and an Indoor National Champion all in the span of 3 years. 

Through my experience, I have learned the importance of a firm belief system. As I continue to excel in all aspects of life, staying close to God on my good and bad days has become more important than ever. God has blessed me with many gifts and it is my job to make sure that I use those gifts to glorify His kingdom. I have also learned the importance of a strong mentality. Getting nervous before a race is normal, but I have learned that it is what you do with those nerves that will determine your success. When I start to become nervous before a race, I focus my attention on the Lord and let Him guide my thoughts rather than letting them consume me.

My biggest asset is that I am a standout amongst many of my peers and fellow athletes because of my success both on the track and in the classroom. I started school a year early and because of that, I have always been a year younger than those in my grade. I do not let this consume me, but instead, I work harder to achieve my goals. I currently have a 4.0 GPA and have never received anything less than an A in the majority of my classes. I look to stay consistent as I know my classes will become more challenging. I am currently in Pre-Ap and Ap classes and I also took Chinese for two years. I would like to study medicine in hopes of becoming a physician in the future. I would also like to receive a scholarship to run at a top university and hopefully compete in the Olympics as a professional athlete one day.