Name: Marco Murillo
School: Pomona High School
Q) What was your most memorable race/throw/jump/vault/moment?
The most memorable moment/race I had was my junior year. It was during a 3200m race me and my teammate Yonas Mogos were racing a 3200m at our league meet.
We decided to change sunglasses each lap as if it was a baton. We were leading the race about 100m to 150m so other coaches including ours were very mad because they said we were showboating.
Then the next day because of the actions of myself and Yonas we got sunglasses and headbands banned the next day for our second day of the league meet. That's a day I won't forget for a good while.
Q) Who would you consider your biggest competition over your four years?
My biggest competition over my four years would have to be my old teammate Yonas Mogos. During my freshman year of doing track, I was the fastest at my school on the long-distance side. But things changed quickly when Yonas joined us in his sophomore year. We had many battles in races and in practices, I never got to beat him but I was close. But he definitely pushed me to new heights that I probably wouldn't reach by myself.
Q) What was your greatest accomplishment?
My biggest accomplishment I would have to say was when I broke five minutes in the mile my freshman year. This was a goal I had all year but I couldn't reach it until the end. I still remember it to this day. I crossed the line screaming "I did it!" and the best part was that I did it in front of my family and it was the first time I scored individual points for my team.
Q) If you could do it all over again what would you change about your career in high school?
If I could do it all over again I would definitely change being more social and going to football games, basketball games and many more activities.
Also, I would have stayed away from the video games I played GTA 5 for 1,200 plus hours (freshmen/sophomore year) which my coach definitely wasn't happy because I didn't take practice seriously :)
Q) What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
The most difficult obstacles I had through high school were things out of my control. Don't waste energy on those things just do the best you can.
Q) What will you miss the most?
l'm going to miss seeing the people that I saw every day for four years and all the memories we had.
Q) What advice would you give to younger athletes?
To the younger athletes, I will like to tell them not to focus on what other people are doing and their workouts. Everyone is different, just stay focused on you, your time will come. But also definitely listen to your coaches. Trust the process. Take steps forward not backward
Q) What influence has your coach had with respect to your performance and overall life goals?
My coaches helped me a lot. I give them credit for helping me develop as an athlete but also as a person. I wouldn't be the person I am today without them.
Q) What are your college plans?
Undecided
Q) Who would you like to say 'thank you' to?
I want to take this time to appreciate all the people that made this journey epic, it was one hell of a ride. I want to thank all the friendships I made and the help and support from my coaches and also for believing in me.
