Name: Mitchell St. Peter
School: Caribou High School
What was your most memorable race?
My
most memorable race was easily during this year's Class B State
Championship in Bath. I race walked a personal record of 7:06 and became
a state champion. Going into the meet, I was seeded 3rd with a time of
7:27. The two athletes seated ahead of me had times of 7:08 and 7:03. It
was a long-shot for me to win, but it seems as though the planets
aligned for me when the starter shot his bullet into the air to commence
the race.
Who would you consider your biggest competition over your four years?
My
biggest competition was Sam Brenner, the athlete who always seemed to
hold a better time than me as the season went on. He was the two-time
state champion of the 1600 meter race walk from 2013-2014, and the top
seed at State Meet this year. Although he was my greatest competition
throughout my four years of varsity track and field, I thank him for the
motivation he gave me to push my body beyond what I thought was
possible.
What was your greatest accomplishment?
Other
than becoming a state champion for race walk in track, I am extremely
pleased with my varsity team's cross country season this year. We went
on to the Class B Eastern Maine Championship only a few points ahead of
the favored Mount Desert Island team. We also finished 5th at States,
only to fall behind five western Maine schools. Also during my senior
year in track, I qualified for states in the 800 and ran with a 4x400
relay team that placed 6th at states.
If you could do it all over again what would you change about your running career in high school?
If
I could start from scratch, I would definitely start my running career
sooner. I only started running for the cross country team during my
junior year. If I had known before that I would be the captain of the
Eastern Maine Championship team and also go on to win the Most Valuable
Runner award from my coach in my senior year, I wouldn't have hesitated
to start running during the summer prior to freshman year!
What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
My
sophomore year, I had a chance to win race walk at the State
Championship in Bath. I led the entire race, but towards the final 200,
Sam came up to my right to pass. We raced all-out to the finish and it
was unclear who had prevailed victorious. As I waited to be announced to
the podium, I was told the heart-breaking news that I had been
disqualified from the race for "loss of contact". For those of you who
do not know, loss of contact is when both feet lose contact with the
ground, and "lifting" is illegal. You must receive three warnings in the
race to be DQ'ed, but it only takes one break in legal form in the last
100 meters to be automatically disqualified. I did not take this
lightly, since it was such an iffy call to make against me for the
officials. Still, after this devastation, I never halted working hard at
the event I love. I got into much better shape as a cross country
runner, worked on race walking in the off-seasons, and perfected my
legality. This is how I got to where I am today as a race walker.
What will you miss the most?
I
will miss the competition, the intense practices that made me feel
invincible, and the sweet taste of victory that every successful meet
brought me. I will miss my teammates, who always effortlessly motivated
me to do my best even though they had no idea what it was like to do
what I do. But, most importantly, I will miss my coach, Coach Alden.
What advice you would give to younger athletes?
My
advice to younger athletes would be to never give up at what you wish
to be good at. I'm aware that this concept sounds rather cliche, but it
could not be any more true within the sport of running. If you are a
freshman or sophomore who has yet to qualify for states, you must
realize that everyone has to start somewhere in their training. Not
everyone is born a talented runner, but I have learned throughout my
four years of high school that a certain level of determination,
perseverance, and hard work can beat talent. You just have to be willing
and put it in.
What influence has your coach had with respect to your performance and overall life goals?
I
will not only miss the praises of Coach Alden, but I will also miss the
criticism he gave me. Without his constant pursuit toward improving my
running ability, I would never be as successful or as happy with my life
as I am. He has taught me how to make what I thought was merely a
sports team feel like a family.
What are your college plans?
I plan on attending the University of Maine to study either electrical or computer engineering in the Fall.
Who would you like to say thank you to?
Once
again, I would like to thank my teammates for always supporting me, and
being both my best friends and second family. I want to thank my
parents and girlfriend for always believing in me regardless of the
odds. And finally, I would like to thank my coach for providing me with
the best year of my life.
More Coverage
Do you know a class of 2015 track and field or cross country athlete? We'd like to salute them! Have them answer the following questions plus send 2-3 photos (can not be from another website or publication) to dveilleux@milesplit.us