Coleman Wilson of Bentonville XC Senior Sendoff

What was your most memorable meet and why?

My most memorable meet was at KU Rim Rock last year. At this particular meet we went as a very small team, and became the closest group a guys team could possibly be. This course is also at the top of my list for the most difficult to race on. After we finished, we were just thankful it was over. We may not have done well as a team, but we definitely learned from it.

Where did you face your biggest competition?

I always think back to the State Outdoor Track meet last year. At this meet I got the closest to Camren Fischer than many of those who have raced him in Arkansas. I hope to come back this track season and give him another run for his money yet again. However, I still race the best athletes in the state everyday just in training, my teammates.

Out of all of your high school accomplishments which stands out the most and why?

At the 2017 State Cross Country Meet I finished second, my best finish throughout all of my cross country seasons. It's mind boggling to me how I ran a 15 minute 2-mile in 7th grade to running 16 minutes for 3 miles now. I'm very proud of this progression and hope I can continue it in the future.

If you could do it all over again what would you change about your running career in high school?

If I could redo anything, I would redo this cross country year and make it slow down. I felt like I coasted through it and missed many opportunities to run the times I felt capable of. I will always look back and wish I raced better.

What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?

My sophomore track season was my hardest year yet. I had come down with a terrible case of the flu immediately followed by a pinched tendon on the top of my foot. Over the month and a half of recovery, I cross-trained by swimming and stationary biking. It was torture staring into a wall for 90 minutes at a time. I only raced 2 or 3 times that track season; however, I still had the opportunity to compete at meet of champs. It was at this race where I ran the fastest 2 mile of my life. My drive for that type of success helped me to overcome all the trials.

What will you miss the most?

I will miss the bond that has formed in my team over the past 4 years. I don't think the type of competitive friendship we share is something you can fake. I will most of all miss racing in the tiger uniform and representing the best XC team in the state.

Do you have any advice for younger athletes?

The best advice I can give is that if you aren't the best now it doesn't mean you will never be. I was the 5th man on my team in Junior high and had a 2 mile PR of 12:30 in 8th grade. I worked my tail off and never gave up in order to achieve running a 4:24 in my mile. Talent doesn't guarantee anything. Working hard and setting goals gets you to success.

What are your post-high school or college plans?

I plan to run cross country and track in college. As of now I've narrowed down to a couple schools, but I'm not 100% sure which one I will end up going to. For now, I'm going to do some soul searching and praying that God shows me where I need to be. I do know that I will be majoring in Mechanical Engineering. I hope that my academic and athletic achievements help bring down that price tag college carries a little.

Who would you like to say thank you to?

I would like to say thank you to all of my coaches throughout the years. My junior high coach, Coach Surly, lit the spark in running that continues to burn today. Coach Power, my high school coach, kindled the fire to where it is today. I also would like to thank my teammates for pushing me getting me where I am today as well. Without them I wouldn't be as quality of an athlete by any means. I would also like thank my Mom over anyone. She always would do anything for me if it meant me becoming slightly better at the sport than she was. If I asked for a running watch she would bend over backwards to get me that watch. I know without her I wouldn't be here or be where I am in my life.