By Nick Lengwin
Run fast and turn left is a saying MVHS Junior Maggie Davis has lived by since 7th grade, running circles in on the track . Davis has had an active lifestyle since she was a young child. This lifestyle includes many sports and activities, such as basketball, softball, and her favorite sport, track.
Davis has had a very successful career so far, qualifying for state two years running. As a freshman, Davis was part of the 4×400 team that qualified for state in 2014. She placed 1st with a time of 4:01.15, a new record at the time. As a sophomore, she was part of the varsity team that were runner-ups at the 2015 State Track Meet. Individually, Davis participated in four events with her fellow teammates and was a state champion in two of those events. She placed first in the 4×800 with a time of 9:35.92 and placed first in the 4×400 with a time of 3:59.76. She also placed 4th in the Distance Medley with a time of 4:13.84 and placed 7th in the Sprint Medley with a time 1:53.06. Overall, Davis is a three time state champion and has many more to come.
Davis,17, of Mount Vernon, lives on the edge of town towards Martelle and lives life at full throttle. Davis first began participating in track in the seventh, first year it is offered to students. Davis experimented with multiple events in track, trying to find out what suited her and what didn’t. These events included track and field events such as the shot put, the long jump, and various mid-range running events. While she enjoyed the the long jump and shot put, Davis discovered that running mid-range is her best strength.
Now in high school, Davis only runs three different events that can vary based on her current performance and that of other runners. These individual events that she could participate in are the 200, 400, and 800-meter running events. A 200 is a half a lap around the track, a 400 is one full lap, and a 800 is two full laps. For many sports, specific training is necessary to compete at a high level, and for Davis, training is no different. Back when she participated in basketball and softball, her training for those sports kept her in pretty good condition for track with no specific training necessary. This year is the first year that Davis did not participate in basketball and plans not to continue her softball career due to lingering knee problems. Without the training from her other sports, Davis has been training and exercising for track year round. Out of season, Davis trains by herself, but in season she trains with fellow teammates. Davis trains at several locations including the district track in front of the middle school, the Cornell College track uptown, the high school weight room, and her mom’s fitness studio. Davis’ mom is a personal trainer. Some of Davis’ specific training includes over-distance running, cross-training, speed training, and weightlifting.
Davis, along with her personal training, also prepares mentally and physically before each track meet. On the mental side, Davis listens to a variety of music, such as pump up songs and classic rock, on the way to the meet and tries to visualize herself running in the meet, focusing on her fundamentals. On the physical side, the track team routinely has a prep practice the day before the meet, which is lighter than a normal practice. This allows the athletes to rest before the meet. Individually, Davis ensures that she rolls out and stretches effectively and eats nutritious meals throughout the season and into the offseason.
What motivates Davis on the track? Davis said that she really loves to exercise and to run which fits so well into the sport of track. She also mentioned that she has a desire for the personal satisfaction that comes with working hard and accomplishing goals that she establishes for herself. Through track, Davis says that it has taught her to run for the right reasons. “It’s a process and it’s not just for medals,” Davis said. Her advice to people new to track is to focus on the positives and don’t be nervous. “Try to enjoy it,” Davis said. “Don’t over think it because overthinking in a race just makes it seem longer.”
Throughout her track career, one particular meet stands out as Davis’ proudest moment. It happened during her sophomore year at MVHS. She had missed a month of her track season due to some knee and leg issues she was having at the time. But after she recovered, she jumped right back into training. Davis first started running 800’s after her return to track. “At first, my 800’s were decent, but by the third or fourth day, I was really getting my time down,” Davis commented about her return. Then came the meet itself. In pouring rain at the regional track meet of 2015 in Monticello, Iowa, Davis ran a personal best in the 800, running a 2:23. Davis said she was extremely proud of her time. She said that it feels extremely rewarding when hard work is put in and good things come out. Davis commented that she will always continue to pursue her best and that is what makes her such a great competitor on the track.
