Marshall Brooker '18 Recruiting Profile

Why I waited until my junior year to start track:

I am so grateful to have discovered track in my junior year of high school - it has changed everything for me. After over 10 years playing competitive soccer, I was always focused on my skills and fitness. I have also always been extremely competitive. It wasn't until late spring of my sophomore year, when I had a 2-mile timed run, that I realized I had speed.

Pushing the limits:

I've had only one season of coaching but in my first 2-months on the track team, I ran a 4:15 1600m - and that's after only 6 career races. In fact, in that time I only missed a PR in one race, and that was coming off of a soccer injury. (Which, by the way, I've recently given up to focus on track and cross-country.) I can't wait to see what college level training will do for my times.

My dedication:

I attribute my early track success to my soccer training where, being the smallest kid on the team for years, I had to work twice as hard for playtime as any of my teammates. I put in extra effort with skills training and building endurance. That hard work and perseverance is paying off now. I train hard, research my competition, watch YouTube videos on elite runners to understand strategy, and never give up.

My academic achievements:

I put the same level of effort into my academics. After a rough transition into high school, I've been able to turn my grades around and average a 4.2 GPA since my sophomore year.

My goals:

By the time I graduate, I expect to be sub 4:08 in the 1600 and sub 1:53 in the 800. With my trajectory so far, my goals seem quite reachable. I am looking to find a school that has an outstanding track program to push me to my full potential, along with great academics.