​Seamus Love chooses Missouri, talks track

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Hilton Head's Seamus Love talks about choosing University of Missouri and his final high school season.

What made you decide to commit to Missouri?
The University of Missouri was great. I had an amazing time on my visit and was reluctant to leave. Between Coach (Marc) Burns and Coach (Shaylee) Marr, something special is on the rise for the Distance runners and I couldn't pass up the chance to be a part of it. The team is a young, hungry team that only needs a few pieces to be an SEC champion or a qualifier for NCAA's, and I am itching to be one of those pieces. I felt an instant connection with everyone on the team and can't wait for the next few years.

What were your other top choices?
I took official visits to the University of Florida, University of Michigan, Auburn, University of Georgia, and Mizzou. I have nothing but the best things to say about each school and I still can't believe that I had the amazing options I had before I decided.

College commitments


What do you hope to achieve in academics and athletics?
In academics, obviously getting the Highest GPA possible and preparing myself for post grad is my goal. As much as I would love to wake up and be Steve Prefontaine I don't think it will happen that easy, so I'm planning my future after college just as much as the present. I plan on majoring in Political Science and Economics. Athletically, my aspirations are high. Although my experience is limited, I'm taking it as a positive. By the end of my 4+ years I want to run under 4 minutes for the mile, but more importantly, help my team make it to the NCAA Championships. I've learned by now that literally anything is possible and I'd rather reach for the stars than limit my capabilities before I step onto the Track.

What did you experience during each visit?
Each visit of mine was amazing. The five weeks I spent on visits were five of the best weeks I've had in a long time. It wasn't until my first visit that I realized what I was getting myself into. Although I didn't get to go for a helicopter ride or anything crazy like some football players, I made a lot of good memories and ate a lot of cheesecake (cheesecake is my weakness).

What would you recommend to others when choosing a college?
Make sure you reach out to any school that you're interested in, you really don't know where you will end up until it's all over. I probably annoyed 50-percent of the coaches in the NCAA, but at the end of the day I ended up with five amazing choices that I may not have had if I didn't speak on my own behalf.

What does it feel like to have the decision made?
It is a lot of weight off my shoulders. Both of my teammates and best friends, Eladio Wilkinson and Cisco Ferre, decided months ago so after seeing how at ease they were, I became very jealous hahaha. My training took a huge hit during the recruiting process (totally my fault) because I was so invested in the future instead of the present.

What do you hope to achieve this spring?
This spring has been a long time coming for me. Obviously this fall was a pretty frustrating time for me because I wasn't able to race until footlocker and was quite unhappy because it really affected my ability to get recruited/ actually compete. I can be honest and say I cried my eyes out watching someone else win the State Championship in the fall because I wanted to represent my school and do what I do best, run. Unbeknownst to most people, I walked onto the line at Footlocker South with stress reactions in both my legs (I'm sorry Coach if you're reading this) not because I wanted to, but because it was my only shot. I have a long list of goals for this spring and regardless of if I accomplish any of them, I'm going to leave it all out there. The most elusive record in the State is Terrance Herrington's record in the mile of 4:08 and I'm going for it. Yes, it's a stretch, and yes it's incredibly fast, but anyone that is at practice with me every day will tell you that if I want something, I'm not going to stop until I get it. Within the State-Related races I also have a few goals. I won't elaborate too much, but most people can agree that this fall was unfair on many levels that the South Carolina High School League said I couldn't compete. I medically withdrew and repeated my sophomore year of high school because I had severe brain trauma from ice hockey, not to get a leg up on competition for running in South Carolina two years later, haha. For me personally, it would be poetic justice to win states in the 4x800, mile , and 800/3200 whichever one I choose. I plan on going to New Balance Nationals and some other post season meets if I feel like I have a lot left.

Looking at your career at Hilton Head and in Pa., what will you remember the most?
Most recently, a great memory is the impact I've been able to have on other people's lives based on the video on me done by flotrack. Kids from New York City to New Zealand have messaged me asking for advice on how to handle situations or wanting to thank me for inspiring them. It makes my day any morning I wake up knowing someone's life is a little bit better because of what I've done. I will never forget the friends I've made throughout the past few years. I wish I could write a 5 paragraph essay on how amazing my friends are and have been to me. The beginning of this entire journey was when I was recovering from my concussion. The first time I basically left my basement in a half of a year was to hangout with my best friends, Cordon Louco and Kolbe Short. They were on the cross country team and I was in an in between period from being a state champion in Ice hockey (In Pennsylvania) to struggling to mentally function. I spent all of my time as I started to recover with them and wanted to be what they were, runners. Since then running has been my passion but I know deep down that it was them who gave me the will to get back into something (This story is actually going somewhere). Last year before State, my friend Cordon said one simple line that has stuck with me ever since, “Be Legendary". The simplest line struck me hard because it just made me really believe that one day I can be “ legendary", whatever it really means. It was the last race we ran together and can't wait to race against each other in college. Once I moved to Hilton Head I became part of something special. Distance runners are weird, and the bond I have with my team is unbreakable. I'm counting down the days till college, but wish I had more time with the guys. There's no point in singling out one person because they each know how much they mean to me. My career has been very up and down, but I'm looking forward to ending it on a good note.

Seamus Love: FINDING STRONG

What individuals in your life were involved in helping you make the decision?
My parents gave me some guidance, but at the end of the day they let me make my own decision, so I'll take this time to thank the people who matter most.

First off, my coaches deserve so much credit. Coach Bill Wrightson is not only a great coach, but great person. He has always been such a calming force on me and I appreciate his presence more than he knows. My other coach is Max Mayo. You may know him as “That footlocker guy," but I know him as something different. He is a guy that drove me up to Charlotte to run on the Foot Locker South course three months before the race just so I would feel comfortable when I could finally race. He has put his heart into me and I know he would do anything to see me succeed. If you know him, then you know how inspiring of a person he is. Between my two coaches, I have a pair that differ so greatly, but have one common goal, my success and happiness. Finally (I know this is dragging on) is my family. Words cannot describe what they have done for me. I'm lucky both of my parents have been good athletes so I can absorb some skills from them, but more importantly their support. This fall I begged my parents to quit once I lost my eligibility to run, but they pushed me forward and owe it all to them. They have been with me every step of the way and are two of the most genuine, loving people I know. The final person I want to mention is my sister Deirdre, because she is what initially started my running career. She is three years older than me and when I was in third grade she was a dominant runner, so like any brother, I started running too. She is a better runner than I am, and if she would have pursued it she would have been amazing. More importantly, she's an inspiration to me. My sister had a concussion much more serious than mine a few years ago, and seeing how she handled it makes me wish I was more like her. My sister is tough as nails, and even though she's barely 100 pounds, I wish I had the strength she had. All in all, I wouldn't trade any experience or person in my life, and am excited for what's ahead.

P.S.: This may all seem very serious, but I'm just a sarcastic, procrastinating, high school senior that eats a bag of Sour Patch Kids a day and happens to really care about running. Follow me on Instagram @seamuslove.