For Carnegie High School junior Preston Turney, cross country is more than logging miles. It is a sport shaped by family support, mental toughness and the chance to help teammates grow.
Turney credits his parents for setting him on his path after his father noticed him running track in fifth grade. “Very common answer but I’d say my parents, I never would’ve signed up for this without my dad seeing me run track in the 5th grade, when I was running the wrong events, they’re the ones who trained me through every workout 6th and 7th grade year which led to an 8th grade breakout, any decision that needs to be made I look for their opinion, basically I wouldn’t be where I am or even in this sport without them.”
His performances include personal bests of 5 minutes, 4 seconds in the 1,600 meters; 10:39 in the 3,200 meters; and 19:03 in the 5K. Turney ran his 1,600- and 3,200-meter bests at the Cherokee Regional track meet as a sophomore and recorded his 5K best at the state meet.
During races, Turney balances strategy with a familiar post-race motivation. “What restaurants are nearby and what food I’m going to get after this run, I also try to control my breathing and I listen for my mom or dad, or my coach, I try to tune out all the outside noise or spectators while running.”
He sees cross country as a place to build relationships as well as endurance. Turney has especially enjoyed watching teammate Tristan Garrett develop from a curious freshman into a dependable runner. “I enjoy bonding with the teammates, my teammate Tristan Garrett has come a long way and watching him go from a freshman in his first year who asked all the questions to becoming a solid performer has been great, I’m excited to see what he accomplishes this season, and I’m excited to guide him through it.”
Turney said athletics has taught him leadership, accountability and resilience. He plans to attend Oklahoma State University after graduation and major in engineering. Away from competition, he enjoys movies — particularly the “Scream,” “Avatar” and “Harry Potter” series — and helps coach his younger brother’s basketball teams.
