On June 14, Haylie Donovan lined up for the 400-meter state finals. At Middletown High School, the senior knew this was her last high school race and refused to let jitters be part of the outcome.
“I didn’t want anything to get in between me and what I needed to do,” she recalled. But while the top of the podium wasn’t reached, the SMU commit still reached a plateau that made up for the short fall.
“Even though I didn’t come in first place, I knew I gave everything I had,” said the silver medal winner.
The day before, she raced in the Federations and admitted to being a little off.
“I didn’t fully execute how I was supposed to,” Donovan revealed.
An omission that left her focused on Saturday. Not a great starter, the Tusker made sure the field didn’t get too far ahead in the first 50 meters, and then generating speed with her arms, the sprinter relied on her ability to close.
“The rest of the race, I kind of just let it flow,” said Donovan.
Only Nicea Jones overcame her current, but as usual, there was zero separation at the finish line. “Everyone at meets wants the best for each other,” said Donovan. So the second place finisher inherently joined in with hugs and high fives with all the other racers.
Off to the nationals, the gathering was a real grind. “By the time I ran the 400, I was already there for 10 hours,” she lamented.
Donovan took the long wait in stride nonetheless. “Exhausted from the heat, she said, “I still put what I had left into the track.”
24th out of 180 runners, her line into the sport wasn’t as direct.
“A lot of people do this,” said Donovan. “They go out for track to stay in shape.”
Soccer was the sport she was seeking to optimize, but the best-laid plans took a permanent detour.
“The second I joined track, I wasn’t the best. But there was just something there,” Donovan clarified.
And the pounding of her feet wasn’t necessarily the draw. “The community, the people you meet,” she beamed. “Everyone is just so supportive.”
Her coach included. “I hit the jackpot with him,” she said of John Vegliante. “He’s always there with a smile. He’s pushed me through my toughest moments and believed in me when no one else did.”
Of course, the track star still has to lace ‘em up and is not complaining about the sports’ autonomy.
“You have to work for yourself,” said Donovan. “I like that a lot.”
The medals aren’t bad either, but the big picture has had a greater impact.
“Track is a very mentally difficult sport. So I feel like it made me a better person in every aspect of my life,” Donovan explained.
More than words, the Tusker has the wounds to prove it. “Many times in the beginning of my career, I let my mind get to me, but I built up strength and resilience,” said the Somers graduate.
Tools that were much-needed as she elevated up the ladder. “There was a lot of pressure I put on myself,” Donovan revealed. “I was expected to come in first - especially at local meets.”
Going to SMU, the attention will initially abate, and she welcomes the respite. “I feel like it’s a fresh start, because I’m not going to go in with all the eyes on me right away.”
A good outlook, her long view doesn’t sell this Mustang short.
“My goal is to be an ACC or NCAA champion,” Donovan concluded.
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