Marlins of Mercy: Mackenzie Sullivan

Junior+Mackenzie+Sullivan+takes+a+jog+around+the+gym+to+warm+up+for+practice.+Photo+by+Maddie+Sullivan

Junior Mackenzie Sullivan takes a jog around the gym to warm up for practice. Photo by Maddie Sullivan

Maddie Sullivan, Staff Writer

“I began running in sixth grade because it was the only sport offered for sixth graders. I played soccer before I began running and since I was one of the faster ones on my soccer team, I thought I would be good at track.

I noticed my passion for track early on. It was something I really loved and by sophomore year I realized it was something I wanted to invest my time in, so I quit soccer to focus on it. Telling my parents I wanted to quit soccer was hard, especially my dad because he played soccer and was the one who got me started. He was super supportive of [my choice] and so was my mom. They come to all of my meets and so do my grandparents.

In middle school, I began to focus on the 400-meter, which is what I compete in now. Since I started high school, I have improved a lot. [My] freshman year I ended up qualifying for states in the 400, which was not very normal [for my age]. After that, college coaches began reaching out to me. [Since then], I have been on a couple college visits, but I won’t start getting offers or commit until next fall. Right now, I am interested in [The University of] Michigan, but it is still early so I don’t know where I will end up.

I practice two hours on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. On Tuesdays and Fridays I have weight training. Saturdays and most Sundays I have competitions. I always try to stretch before and after everything and stay hydrated to avoid injury. I have been pretty fortunate that I have never been badly injured. I have had tendonitis before which put me out for about a week, but nothing major.

In the summer, I do club track then I have cross country in the fall. In the winter, I have club track again. Then, spring track season and the cycle continues, so there really is no break!

People think I am crazy when I say I love running, but I really do. With track, since it is an individual sport, I am constantly setting goals for myself and then trying to achieve them. While I am running, I am able to shut everything out and get into a runner’s mindset. I am usually in a lot of pain, but I have my goals in mind. The goals I set keep me motivated. They can sometimes be high, but I want to get there.”