NSR track and field prospect runs to glory

Mark Myers is a distance runner — a good one. When the National Scouting Report track and field prospect laces up his running shoes, he gives it everything every time.

Few people dispute the dedication of competitive distance runners.  They are a different breed.  The hours spent training are innumerable.  Their stamina is unquestioned.  And then there’s the mindset to hit the road nearly every day of the year, regardless of weather conditions, in search of dropping those elusive seconds.

Explaining his boundless enthusiasm for his sport, the Lake Forest (Ill.) High School senior said: “Since the beginning of high school, I have been totally dedicated to running. Especially in the last year, I have begun to focus on doing everything I can to make myself faster. I do not drink soda or junk food like candy during the track and cross country seasons. My coaches put a big emphasis on cross training, so in addition to running, I perform strength training and swim or bike whenever I can. This helps improve my natural endurance and has given me a strong finish to races. As an athlete I can bring commitment and work ethic, fueled by a passion for running, and a sense of camaraderie between myself and any team. Off the track, I can bring that same vigor and enthusiasm in everything I do.”

Andrew Novelli, National Cross Country Director for NSR, puts Myers on a pedestal in his scouting report to college coaches.

“Mark is already an accomplished high school runner,” he wrote. “Over the past two seasons, as a sophomore and junior, Mark has earned All-State, All-County and All-Conference honors.  As a sophomore, he finished a very respectable 27th at the IHSA State 3A Track Meet in the 3200 meters which foretold a bright future.  And he has already broken the 34-year-old school record for the 3200 meters with a time of 9:24.”

Myers also goes full speed in the classroom.  He boasts a 4.31 GPA and expects to major in Business or Journalism in college.  He serves as an understudy sports journalist for his hometown newspaper, the Lake Forester.

“Although it is my biggest passion, running is not my only interest,” Myers said. “Besides my sports journalism internship, I play pick-up hockey, act as a mentor to first-grade students in North Chicago, and work as a counselor at a mountain biking camp in North Carolina over the summers.”

Myers hopes to pursue his running and journalism passions in college.

“Moving forward into college, my goal is to grow as an athlete, a student, and a person. I will give everything I have in athletics and the classroom,” he said. “I hope to attend an academically strong university and help my team qualify for NCAAs. I am excited about college and am ready to bring all my best qualities as a student-athlete and help my team succeed.”