Name: Coltin Fletcher
School: Juab
What was your most memorable race/throw/jump/vault/moment?
I'd say my most memorable race was the 400m at region my junior year. I remember going into region with a chip on my shoulder. The only thing going through my mind while warming up was that I wanted to make finals. I remember getting into the blocks determined and at the sound of the gun I held nothing back. My PR going into the race was a 55.23 and I ended up running a 54.20. It was insane and I didn't believe the clock at first. Plus not only did I qualify for finals, but I ended up coming in 5th at finals and going to state. Nobody saw it coming and I will never forget it.
Who would you consider your biggest competition over your four years?
The one person I considered my biggest competition was always myself. I never really went into any race thinking I need to beat that person or that person. I always went in with a strategy on how I could improve from my last race.
What was your greatest accomplishment?
My greatest accomplishment would have to be my 4x4 3rd place state medal. I remember it was right after we'd won region and we had a decent 4x4 run. Brigham Perry and I were talking and we thought, "do you think we could make the podium at state for the 4x4?" We went in ranked 6th, but we went into it telling ourselves, "Don't hold back and no regrets." We all had the run of our lives and I was overjoyed when I got to stand on that podium.
If you could do it all over again what would you change about your running career in high school?
I don't think I'd change a thing. I always trained as hard as I could and ran with all my heart while I was on the track. I'm just so grateful for the opportunity I had to run track and be a Juab Wasp.
What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
My biggest obstacle for me to overcome was my self confidence. I remember my freshman year I was overweight and I tried to run track, but after I ran a timed 400 in a 1:23 and got laughed at, I quit. Then I don't know what it was, but I started training again and came back my sophomore year with a vengeance. I ended up running a 56.54 by the end of the year. It took a lot for me to overcome my fear of what others thought about me and just run my own race.
What will you miss the most?
I will miss running with the 4x4 boys the most. There's no greater feeling than getting to run that race with the guys that you're closest with. When they're no longer just teammates, but also your brothers. I will miss that by far the most.
What advice would you give to younger athletes?
My best advice to the younger athletes would be don't hold back. Just set your goals high and reach for the stars. Don't stress so much and just full send. The best races I had were the ones I ran with no fear and I didn't hold back.
What influence has your coach had with respect to your performance and overall life goals?
Everything. I wouldn't be where I'm at without my coaches. I don't even know if I would've kept running track if it weren't for my coaches. I knew they cared about and that helped me trust them. I wasn't just some other athlete to them. They were always looking out for me and pushed me to be my best.
What are your college plans?
I plan on serving a mission for 2 years, but then I plan on coming back and hopefully being allowed to walk on somewhere. I feel I still have a lot to prove and I just hope some school will give me the chance.
Who would you like to say 'thank you' to?
I would like to say thank you to Macray Stevens for being the first guy to believe in me and helping me find my fire and self confidence. I'd also like to thank Brigham Perry, Justus Bradley, and Tyler Dinkel for being great teammates and always helping push me to new limits. Then I'd also like to give a huge thanks to Coach Jake Morgan for being the best coach I could ask for. He helped push me beyond what I thought I was capable of and always made me give 110%.
