Salute to Seniors: Nick Morris Scarborough HS
What was your most memorable race?
My most memorable race was the 4x200 at the 2012 Indoor State Meet. I spent most of the season on the sidelines and we needed to win the race to capture the title and I anchored the team to a win by .01 seconds. It was one of the most dramatic and exciting races I've been a part of and it turned out to be my last race of high school track.
Out of all your high school accomplishments which stands out the most?
Winning two Class A state championships in cross country is something I am very proud of. I was only the second Scarborough athlete to win an individual title, but to do it two years in a row was very special.
If you could do it all over again what would you change about your running career in high school?
I would have incorporated more strength work into my training. Had I known about the muscle imbalances that existed in my body, I might have been able to avoid the injury and eventual surgery that wiped out most of my senior year.
What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
The first obstacle was really committing myself to a high level of training. The first few months of training were really rough, and I didn't take them too seriously because I wasn't having the success I wanted. I had to change my attitude and increase my work ethic before I could have any success. The biggest obstacle has been watching the seniors out on the track while I was stuck on the sidelines. We have all worked tremendously hard to get to this point where we were winning races and competing for titles. I spent most of indoor and outdoor wondering what I could have done, but I think it has done me well as a runner and a person and I am even more motivated to get back to competing.
What will you miss the most?
I will miss being a part of a team. Especially in cross country, we spend a few hours a day together from July until November and we all get really close. It is really rewarding to be a part of a good team with kids who are dedicated to getting better. I will definitely miss the teammates and coaches who have helped me, but I know they will continue to do good things and make our school proud.
Do you have any advice for younger athletes?
There are no big secrets in running, you just have to stick with it. When I started out, I was very far from a superstar. I just put in the work, and things came naturally. In track, you get out what you put in, so if you put in a good effort every day you will be rewarded with improvement. There will be days when you want to skip a run or dog a workout, but if you really want to be successful you will work through those things and come out stronger for it.
What advice have your coaches had with respect to your performance and overall life goals?
My coaches have had a huge impact on my life, not just in running. They always reminded me that school comes first, and for the past two years I have skipped practices to work on an internship that I had through the school. They have instilled a sense of pride and confidence in me that I did not have before. Perhaps the greatest thing they have given me is a desire to always get better. They have been great coaches and friends, and I know their advice will help me in my future track career as well.
What are your college plans?
I will be attending the US Naval Academy if my knee surgery allows. I am scheduled to start on June 28 and will hopefully be running cross country and track. It will definitely be a challenge, but I am excited to meet it head on and hopefully make some steady improvements in running.
Who would you like to say thank you to?
I would like to thank my family, coaches, teammates, and other athletes. My family has supported me through attendance at meets, purchasing obscene amounts of shoes, as well as moral support. My coaches and teammates have made practice bearable, sometimes even enjoyable. It is not very fun to train on your own, and my teammates have been great to pass the time with. Lastly, I'd like to thank all the athletes who competed against me. You all made meets fun and challenged me to get better. I wish all the runners graduating the best of luck and I look forward to reading about your success.
More Coverage
It was a great 2011-2012 in both cross country and track across the Great State of Maine. Many of our seniors will soon be on their way to start their college careers both athletically and academically so we wanted to salute them one more time in this special feature.
