Senior Sendoff: Tanner McCauley - Holy Cross (Louisville)



What was your most memorable meet and why?

My most memorable meet would have to be the State Championship my senior year. We came in and ran amazing. Finally bringing home a state champion trophy to Holy Cross after 4 runner ups in the history of the program was amazing. Just seeing the joy in  Mr. Reynolds was priceless and I am beyond thankful to have such a great man as a coach. 


Where did you face your biggest competition?

I faced my biggest competition at the State meet in 2015. Lexington Christian had a very strong team that year and it was fun competing with them! It's what this sport is all about in my opinion. 



Out of all of your high school accomplishments which stands out the most and why?

My best personal accomplishment would have to be being an all-state runner as a sophomore. I worked very hard that year and was looking forward to the next few years and seeing what i could have done. Then things went downhill fast and i was rigged with injuries for the rest of my high school cross country career. 



If you could do it all over again what would you change about your running career in high school?

If I could do it all over again, I would not take anything for granted. Every long run, every race, every workout. It can end at any time. You never know when the last time you will be out there for your team. The last time you put on that uniform. The last time you step up to the line. The last time you take off when that gun goes off. The last time you cross that finish line with a PR. I took all of that for granted and I regret it tremendously now. 



What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?

The most difficult obstacles to overcome would have had to have been the emotional pain from my injuries. Going into junior year, I was very excited to see what I could have done. Unfortunately, tendinitis came in my right IT band and prevented me from showing my full potential that year. Going into senior year I was excited and hungry. I knew I had to work extra hard this year to make up for my hurt junior year. Again, I get hurt...sprained ankle. I tried to stay positive about it and just get myself healed up and get out there as soon as possible. Minor setback for a major comeback was what was going through my head, but it didn't happen. I developed synovitis in my joint which is what took me out of this year. I was all-state sophomore year and never finished a race my senior year. The emotional pain from that alone was nearly unbearable. I couldn't be there for my team on the course. I couldn't fulfill the promise I made to them. 



What will you miss the most?

I will miss my teammates the most. They were all there for me when I was hurt and they knew they had to work extra hard to get that state title. They pushed themselves and the others to be the best person they could possibly be, on and off the course. I have so much respect for each and everyone of them. 



Do you have any advice for younger athletes?

Younger guys, please take care of your bodies and injuries. Make ice your best friend. I know ice baths suck but they do wonders. Don't do anything stupid that can cause you to get hurt easily. I don't want anyone to go through what I did being injured for your last year of high school. 



What are your post-highschool or college plans?

Since I was hurt I will not continue my running career into college. I am hoping to join the military after high school. 



Who would you like to say thank you to?

I would like to say thank you to my coaches. They had faith in me when I was running and they knew my potential. They also made me a better person on and off the course and some of the things I learned from them will be used later in life. They taught me so much. 

I would also like to thank my teammates for finally bringing home that state championship!! You guys are the best!! 

I would like to thank the Holy Cross family for being there for us. The celebratory hallway walk through the week after state was something I will never forget! 

Also thanking my grade school coach Mike Murphy for introducing me to the beautiful sport of cross country. 

Last but not least I would like to thank all the competitors we faced. From the 2015-2016 Lexington Christian cross team to the 2017 Owensboro Catholic team. You guys have earned the respect from Holy Cross and we loved competing with you guys.