March Athlete of the Month – Mackenzie Pringle

 

Name: Mackenzie Pringle

Grade: Senior

Extracurricular Involvement: Mackenzie Pringle is currently the Vice President of the National Honor Society, and she is also the president of STAR Club. Pringle is an active member in student government, a member of the AVID program, and heavily involved in the cosmetology program. She has also been named an honoree of the Columbia Urban League.

What events do you compete in?

“I do the long jump, 4 by 100 meter relay, 200 meter dash, and the 100 meter dash.”

What are your favorite and least favorite events?

“My favorite event is the long jump. My least favorite, honestly, is the 200. You would think it’s easy because it’s only two 100s, but you have to not only run the curve, but also continue running strong during that part. That’s usually the time when people catch up to you.”

Do you have any pre-meet rituals?

“It’s kind of a thing that I have to make my bed before the meet. I don’t do it everyday, but I have to do it the day of the meet. Because they say when you make your bed in the morning, you set yourself up for success. It’s all to mentally prepare.”

What’s your favorite part about track meets other than your events?

“I love supporting my teammates. They support me all the time, so I’m going to support them all the time too. They’re very enthusiastic. Even if you did horrible, they’ll still tell you that you did great. It can be a good or bad thing.”

Did you do any sports before track?

“Yes, I did gymnastics. I did it for eight years, so from 5th grade all the way up until the beginning of senior year. That was when I decided to try out for the track team. When I was doing gymnastics, you paid to go to the gym and also for the coach’s time. I practiced with them, went to meets with them, and we were a travel team. As I got older, gymnastics kind of fell out of the ladder for me. I didn’t really love it as much as I used to, and it’s very expensive. It’s a very expensive sport to just continue with for fun, and so I knew it was time to go.”

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