Florida Gators Recruit Making The Most Of Racing Opportunites

By Todd Grasley of DyeStat

Sam Austin, a senior at Oviedo High in Florida, never envisioned he’d be a star on the track.

Austin, who owns the No. 1 time in the country in the 800 meters (1:50.00 at the Bob Mosher Wildcat Open), always thought his home would be on the soccer pitch. After using the fall cross country season as conditioning for soccer as a sophomore, he decided to give track and field a try.

Coach Dave Tibbetts recognized Austin’s speed and quickly inserted him into a 4x800-meter relay team with Angel Vicioso (now at the University of Florida) and brothers Mamush and Kayamo Galloway (currently running at Troy University). It didn't take long before Austin was on the anchor leg. The team broke the school record in the event and won the 2019 state championship.

“After that, I quit soccer for fear of getting injured and fell in love with track and field,” Austin said. “Running with the Galloway brothers and especially Angel taught me how to put in work and the mental toughness you need to be successful as an athlete.”

A shortened 2020 outdoor track and field season didn’t lend much in the way of competition except for three high school meets to start the year and the AAU Junior Olympic Games in August. When 2021 rolled around, Austin was more than eager to get back into the action and signed up for the VA Showcase indoor meet in January.

“In the 2020 offseason I got much stronger physically and mentally,” he explained. "When I ran at the VA Showcase, I wanted to see where I was with my times, race in a competitive race, and get a little more experience before running indoor track in college.”

His 1:53.30 in Virginia set the tone for a fantastic early spring outdoors. He has showcased his range with personal best times from the 200-meter dash to the mile.

Each improvement has come from hard training through the offseason and complete dedication to the sport.

“I set my goals and have put extreme amounts of work into reaching them,” he said. “After last year, I attack each race like it may be my last of the season.”

He is also enjoying each moment.

“This year my coaches have let me have fun trying different distances because last year was cut short and in college, I’ll be focused on my main events,” Austin added.

“I was hoping to run a mile and 200 before focusing on the 400m and 800, so my training was all over the place. Now they are helping me prepare for the championship season.”

His initial goals at the beginning of the season were to break 1:52 and be invited to Brooks PR Invitational. After running 1:50, those plans have changed, and Austin is targeting a time under 1:49. He will have a shot to achieve that goal as the Florida State Championships draw near.

“I am excited,” he said. “As long as I stay healthy, I have a shot at the title in the 800 meters, but I have some work to do in the 400.”

Once the season is complete he will join Vicioso and a talented incoming Florida Gators class in Gainesville. It was the combination of academics as well as belief that he could reach his potential with coaches Mike Holloway and Chris Solinsky that sold him on the program.

“Their track team has a history of doing well in national championships,” he said. “I also met several distance runners on the UF team over the summer while training with Angel and I felt like I would fit in nicely in the Gator family. I’m looking forward to training, getting stronger and faster, and of course the team aspect.”

Through it all, Austin has a lot of people to thank for getting him to where he is at today. From Coach Tibbett’s early belief to the support of his high school teammates, his sister, whose health issues inspired him to keep pushing for his dreams, and college coaches who reached out and saw his potential.

“You just never know when a moment can come along and change the path of your life.”