Frankie Knox started out just like any other 12-year-old girl in middle school, participating in the mandatory girls athletics period. Through the monotonous burpees, pushups, and PACER tests, her coaches quickly noticed Frankie’s natural endurance and athleticism. These abilities, combined with her long strides, made Frankie a perfect candidate for her middle school track team. With some encouragement from her mom, who had also been a runner, Frankie started running track in seventh grade. That year, she participated in running the 400 and the 4x400 relay, both which require a delicate combination of endurance and speed, seeing success in both events. After witnessing those performances, the cross country coach began to nag Frankie about joining the distance squad that fall. Just a few months later, Frankie found herself on the cross country course for the first time during her eighth grade year. That spring in track, she ran the 800 and 400, utilizing her endurance from cross country. She was awarded MVP in both sports at the conclusion of her eighth grade year. Frankie explained that in junior high, her “talent just came naturally,” and she did not have to put in additional training or hard work to be at the top of her team. However, all that changed when she came onto the high school running scene. 

    The summer before her freshman year, Frankie switched from Conroe ISD to Montgomery ISD, enrolling at Lake Creek High School. She joined the Lake Creek cross country team, which  had already begun summer training in preparation for the fall season. With them, Frankie met her biggest challenge: training her body to run at a consistent pace for longer distances than ever before. She was surrounded by much older, more experienced girls and found herself struggling to keep up. Her coach, Kevin Spruill, saw Frankie’s potential and encouraged her to try and keep pace with the older girls and challenge herself to higher mileage. Frankie recalls that “there were a couple of days where I was going to go for it and try and run with them and then I would throw up,” having to push herself to her absolute limits. Rather than become disheartened by the tough workouts or envious of her faster teammates, Frankie used them as motivation to work harder. That fall during the cross country season, she began to see that hard work pay off. Improving her times each race, Frankie finished the season in the top 20 of her district, running a 20:13 5K. Her performances throughout the season earned her Lake Creek cross country’s Newcomer of the Year award, which Frankie said was special because “it was something I worked hard for,” as opposed to her natural talent in junior high. She also credits her teammates for her improvement, explaining that “being on a team has pushed me to work so much harder because I see all these inspirations.” Those teammates, combined with consistent hard work throughout the winter, led Frankie to experience even greater success during the spring track season. 

    She continued working hard and improving from February to April, finishing out with an incredible journey into the postseason. Frankie made it all the way to the regional meet as a freshman, which is something few track athletes accomplish. Her personal best in the mile, a 5:14, even earned her a qualifying spot at New Balance Nationals, which were held this past June in Philadelphia. Frankie traveled there with a few of her older teammates and had the opportunity to race against the fastest high schoolers in the country. The experience inspired her to dream bigger and continue pushing herself. “I really want to be up there with those girls I look up to so much,” said Frankie. Within a year, Frankie has become an entirely different athlete. She went from struggling to keep up with her teammates to being among the fastest in the nation. When asked about her journey, Frankie’s coach, Kevin Spruill, said, “Frankie has an outstanding work ethic and is hungry for success. I have no doubt she will continue to achieve great things over the next three years.” Frankie’s resilience and refusal to back down even when things seemed impossible allowed her to overcome the challenges that led her to such immense success. She is still consistently working hard this summer, chasing big dreams and goals for her next three years.