Four minutes and 10 seconds.
That’s the time it takes Palo Alto High School senior Grant Morgenfeld to run a single mile — breaking a school record that previously lasted for 40 years. Coming into freshman year, Morgenfeld joined the track and field team as a fun way to hangout with friends.
However, in his junior year, he broke the one-mile and two-mile Paly records and won first at the Central Coast Section championship.
However, a stress fracture in his shin prevented him from running competitively in his final cross-country season.
“I had a big injury coming off the track season junior year,” Morgenfeld said. “The comeback right now this cross country season has been a little rough.”
This injury caused some doubts among college coaches on whether he could stay healthy at the college level.
“Most people definitely had expectations for me and they didn’t know what was going on [with the injury],” Morgenfeld said. “But I’ve tried to stay within myself and I know if I just keep focusing on practice, it’s all going to come.”
Morgenfeld said a major reason for his running success is his work ethic.
“It [my work ethic] is just about putting in the time and the hours and I feel like I’ve done that [by] staying disciplined … going to sleep at the same time, getting enough sleep, going to the gym when I needed to go to the gym and really working hard when I need to,” he said.
Morgenfeld’s commitment to running garnered offers to run for several Division 1 teams in college in his junior year.
After much deliberation, he committed to Wake Forest, a highly ranked Division 1 track team, in August.
“I think from an outside perspective, there are other schools on that list that are more prestigious, more academically renowned and have a better brand for sure,” Morgenfeld said. “But for me, I didn’t want just the brand. I wanted to go somewhere where I knew I was going to be happy and I knew I was going to be motivated to run and to really work hard at school.”
Through all the stress Morgenfeld faced, he said there was always someone who had his back.
“I could kind of speak my mind a little more freely and kind of get different perspectives and stuff like that,” Morgenfeld said. “Everyone was really supportive in that [commitment/running] process.”
Senior Tony McKenna, a long-time friend and teammate of Morgenfeld’s, only had positive things to say about him.
“He [Morgenfeld] never fails to remain humble and continue to encourage his teammates despite how he may be running ahead of everybody else,” McKenna said. “The last seven years with you [Morgenfeld] have been the greatest of my life and I hope to keep in touch with you as you spend your time in Wake Forest.”
Morgenfeld said he is grateful for all the positive experiences he has shared with his peers and coaches.
“I’ve really enjoyed my time in high school with them [teammates and friends] and I’ve really grown as a person and as an athlete,” Morgenfeld said. “I feel like the coaches have really been a positive impact on all of us [track athletes] and it’s been a really great experience all around.”
