|
Full Name: Marshall Wilson Meyer Academic Interest: History Brother/Sisters: 2 sisters, Mallory 17 and Ansley 11 Hobbies: Hanging out with friends and flirting Date of Birth: March 27, 1989 Personal Bests: 10 miles- 57:00 -5k- 16:33 -1600- 4:42 -800- never ran in a race. -400- 56 sec. |
scrunners: When did you start to run?
meyer: I started to run in fourth grade, went out and ran a 5k in 22:04, without much preparation.
scrunners: What made you decide to run cross country?
meyer: Haha, David Adams (state record holder - 14:37), when I was young I looked up to him, I worked out with the team when I was in fifth and sixth grade, then when I was old enough I was finally on the team.
scrunners: Do you also compete in track and field? What events do you specialize in and why?
meyer:: Well, I like the 3200 meters and that\'s my best distance, but in a workout on the track I ran a 4:42 and that felt great but I will focus a lot more on the 1600 and 800 this upcoming year.
scrunners: How does your training shift following the end of the cross country season to prepare for track and field?
meyer: After a week off my mileage drops from 60 to 50 with more intensity getting ready for indoor, and after indoor there\'s not much time so I\'ll keep doing what I was doing. One particularly challenging thing is that we have different coaches for cross country and track seasons.
scrunners: What course is your favorite in South Carolina and out of state?
meyer: Walterboro without a question, it is a slow course but it is a true cross country course. My favorite out of state course is up in North Carolina where the University of Appalachian State works out and all there trails, that\'s where I go to camp. It seems everyone expects a lower-state guy to not be good on hills but no one at camp can beat me on them, even the college runners were struggling and asked me to take it easy.
scrunners: As a sophomore, what kind of goals would you like to accomplish this year and as your career in running progresses?
meyer: Well, I won the region 8-4A as a freshman and would love to be a four-time region champion in cross country but I will have my hands full with Will Jeffries on Wednesday.
scrunners: Following an indoor campaign last season, you qualified for the Freshman mile at nationals. How did it feel to qualify and how was the whole national event?
meyer: I thought it would be close qualifying for the event but I beat out the qualifying time by nine seconds. Getting ready for the race I was too relaxed, probably not enough experience but went out too fast and was leading and died. Now I have that experience, things will go a lot different if I\'m in that situation again and will be better prepared.
scrunners: With an eighth place finish at the 2004 Coaches Classic meet and a preview of the state championship course, what are you looking to achieve on Nov. 6, individually and as a team?
meyer: I want to do well at the state meet and I want the team to do well, we have the capability to be in the top five in the state as a team, everyone underestimates us. As an individual a top 10 would be strong but a top five is not out of the question, it could go to about anybody. We are back at the Sandhills. I haven\'t had the best races there but it can change. To win your going to have to be a STRONG runner.
scrunners: At the 2003 state meet, how did the race unfold? How did it feel to finish in the top 17? Were you aiming for top 15, to make the all-state team?
meyer: That was my biggest goal of the year, being less than one second from 15th and finishing 17th is not all that bad, it showed me that I had my work cut out for me during the summer. The race unfolded the way I wanted it to, I was battling with Chad Holt (Mauldin) the whole race and got Freshman of the Year and going into the race I knew it was going to be close.
scrunners: What kind of training did you undergo this summer?
meyer: Lots of running, I ran 1000 miles this summer and felt great, I can handle any mileage.
scrunners: Who do you train with in the summer?
meyer: No one, I made the mistake of not running fast enough this summer, I did train a little bit with Brian Knapp, Shawn Cunningham and Chris Houck.
scrunners: What kind of goals has Hilton Head set as a team?
meyer: We have never had top five under 18 and we almost did it during a week day meet on a slow course, are fifth guy was 18:02. We wanted to be in the top seventh, Hilton Head has never done better than that in 4a and our goal was to better that.
scrunners: What do you look for in a coach and what do you expect a coach to look for in you?
meyer: I look for a coach to work my butt off when it is time to, the coach should know that I\'ll do whatever the workout is and I\'ll do my best.
scrunners: Have you ever been injured?
meyer: I have never been injured.
scrunners: Who has been Hilton Head\'s team rival and do you have an individual rival?
meyer: Hilton Head\'s biggest rival has been Summerville, we have never beaten Summerville at regions and I think it\'s our turn. My biggest rival without a question is Chad Holt, we always find ourselves when we compete. He is running well. We have a good friendship but when its time to race we are wanting to kill each other, after the race we are buddies.
scrunners: How did these rival\'s develop and when do they become most intense?
meyer: State meet, he (Holt) finished two steps behind me for Freshman of the Year. We always find each other during the race.
scrunners: What kind of race strategy works best for you? Explain. If a race scenario changes from the expected how do you alter your plans.
meyer: If there is someone I know that I can beat and is running faster than me, just staying with him and surging and that usually brakes them and no one yet this year has out sprinted me, I picked up about seven spots the last 100 meters at Wendy\'s.
scrunners: Does Hilton Head have a team tradition prior to a meet?
meyer: Everyone seems to go there own way during a warm-up.
scrunners: What would you say is the most prestigious meet you have competed in? How did do you fare?
meyer: The Nike indoor nationals (freshman mile), I finished 18th.
scrunners: Have you ever meet a professional athlete? If so what did you discuss with them?
meyer: I went to Footlocker Nationals one year and I met: Michael Johnson, Adam Goucher, Stacy Dragila, Suzy Favor Hamilton, that Meb guy that finished second in the marathon in the Olympics, Bob Kennedy, and Billy Mills. Before the race I talked to Adam Goucher for 30 minutes and his coach Mark Wetmore. After that race I was the first person that Alan Webb talked to, we talked for about 10 minutes and talked to Dathan Ritzenhin for awhile. Max Mayo is the director of Footlocker Nationals and coaches me before Footlocker.
scrunners: With two more years of high school cross country eligibility left for you after this season, how would you like to finish as a senior and have you thought about running in college?
meyer: Running in the mid to low 15\'s would be awesome, I really like Appalachian State, but too young to be thinking of this yet.
scrunners: Have ever thought about coaching the sports? If so, why, and what level?
meyer: Thats what I want to be, I would really like the coach college, Appalachian State has a good education department.
scrunners: Do you have a favorite running book or movie, if so which one and why?
meyer: Prefontaine if you haven\'t seen it, see it, or Without Limits.
scrunners: When not running what do you do for fun?
meyer: Being with my friends or playing PS2.
scrunners: With beginning runners becoming increasing more, what do you think they should to during their first year of running for training and racing?
meyer: Just have fun, they can have a long good career and really enjoy it, this is what this sport needs.
scrunners: What keeps you motivated to get out the door on a daily basis for school, running and life?
meyer: Grades, I know I need the grades to get into college. Running is like my job, it may help my parents with tuition. Just grab life by the horns.
scrunners: If there is one thing in the world you could do what would it be and why?
meyer: A coach at a Divison 1 school, this is what I want to be and I\'m going after it.