It’s almost unheard of for a student from a 2A school to commit to a top Power Five college track and field program, but guess what…it’s happened! Thorndale senior Michael Herzog has defied the odds and will be heading to Duke University in North Carolina next fall.
“This commitment is something that I know is going to help my future and allow me to continue doing something that I love,” Herzog said. “I always knew I wanted to play a college sport and my commitment is making that dream come true.”
Herzog tasted success early in his high school career by competing in the long and triple jumps. During his freshman year, he placed fourth at the Texas 2A State Meet. In his sophomore year, his triple jump of 45-05 (45 meters, 5 centimeters) secured his first state championship in the event. Right now, his best jumps are 20-08 in the long jump and 48-08 in the triple jump.
Herzog says his love for track and field comes from being part of a team and the daily challenge of getting better.
“I really like track because it can be separated into individual competition, but you still really get the team feeling,” Herzog said. “You still have lots of people that you get to train with and compete with daily at practice.”
While discussing his recruitment journey, Herzog says Duke’s high level of athletic and academic prestige led him to commit in September. He chose the Blue Devils over many other offers which include: Ivy league schools like Cornell, Dartmouth and the University of Pennsylvania. Other Power Five schools such as the University of North Carolina and Texas Tech also showed interest in the talent of Herzog.
“The main reasons I committed to Duke is the Power Five athletics combined with the great academics that they have to offer,” Herzog said. “Duke has a great program that’s on the rise with a bunch of good athletes. I am hoping to be one of the next ones to help that program. I also loved the city of Durham, North Carolina.”
Herzog credits his coaches, family, and the entire Thorndale community for pushing him to reach his goals.
“They’ve all helped me by believing in me and knowing that I had the ability to accomplish these things,” Herzog said. “They saw it in me early, and they were always willing to help me do what needed to be done in order for me to excel in the long jump and triple jump.”
With the University Interscholastic League (UIL) canceling spring sports last season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Herzog says he’s looking to capture big accomplishments in his final year at Thorndale.
“One of my goals is to break the 2A State Meet triple jump record which is 49-07,” he said. “I’d love to jump 24-06 in the long jump and 51-06 in the triple jump.”
Herzog says he wants to be remembered not only for his individual accomplishments, but for being a great leader and team player.
“I want to be remembered as someone who helped get the track program going because it wasn’t a big thing in Thorndale,” he said. “I want them to say that I was a good teammate who pushed others to be the best. I would like to be in the record books for a long time, but that’s not a huge deal to me. I am more worried about how I helped the people around me.”
Herzog has set the bar high for himself when he starts his career at Duke next year.
“My freshman year, I want to compete for the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Track Championship in the long jump or triple jump,” Herzog said. “I’d love to compete in the national meet also.”
THS Head Track Coach Doug Franklin praised Herzog on his work ethic and discussed how much he means to the THS Track Program.
“Michael has the qualities most division I athletes have,” Franklin said. “He trains and perfects his jumping skills all year round. He is a good kid, from a good family and it is great to see such a quality character young man have athletic and academic success. I appreciate what he has done for our program, our school and our community.”
With track season beginning in March, Herzog hopes to continue building his legacy by adding another state championship to his impressive resume.
- Log in or Subscribe to post comments.