Michael Woolery, of Episcopal Academy, has been PA's fastest over 800m so far this season with his time of 1:53.28. He owns the No. 1 spot in PA and is ranked No. 8 nationally. I sat down with one of PA's best athletes and discussed his season so far.
"My season started off pretty well. I kind of got into a hole with my foot a little bit so I had to back it down some, but I had a lot of momentum coming off cross country," said Woolery.
He relied on his training and when he made his 800m debut at the Kristian Marche Invitational, he stormed to a win in 1:54.3. Woolery's confidence remained strong and at the Ocean Breeze Invitational he took the win in the 800m in 1:53.28.
Above: Watch his Performance at the Ocean Breeze Invitational
"Once we started hitting the track I trusted the base that I had built during the summer. Obviously, the ton of work and the workouts we did all track season long already. I just trusted that and I feel super confident going into the next couple of weeks."
Woolery took third with a 4:14 mile at the PTFCA indoor championships in 2022 and he's still not leaving a push for the mile off the table just yet.
"I'm definitely very happy. I want to get my mile time down a little bit more. There's a couple puzzle pieces we've been trying to figure out in terms of the team win so, it's up in the air," said Woolery.
He hasn't been alone in his efforts this season though. Their 4x8 put up a PA No. 1 time of 7:55 which also ranks fourth nationally. Woolery puts a lot of trust into his teammates and they all feed off each other. They're all looking at the same ultimate goal, a team title.
"Right now, we've got 5 or 6 guys going 4:20. And then 4 guys that are sub 2 guys. We work together a ton in practice and we're definitely super competitive... all of us in trying to win each workout. It's just really how we're getting better. The team dynamic is awesome, I couldn't ask for better guys to work with," he added.
The squad of Woolery, Aidan McHugh, Eli Engelman, and Dakin Ebmeyer will look to take on the Millrose games this Saturday.
"All four of us will be there and we're just gonna try and everybody run a PR. Try to run as low to 7:40s as possible. Our momentum is just super strong with the 4x8, so we're just super siked," he said on behalf of their relay team.
The Episcopal boys are ranked fourth in the nation for the 4x8 and fourteenth for the DMR. But which of these relays does Woolery prefer?
"I'm gonna say the 4x8, just because I like to run the 4x8. I love the mile but, I think that our team prefers the 4x8. If you ask a couple of the other guys, they'll probably say the DMR."
Outside of being a track star, Woolery is a young entrepreneur, but their team bond is strong and the boys spend a lot of time together.
"Indoor takes a lot of my time. Saturday it's all day and sometimes Sundays. If it's not track, I'm really into woodworking and I have a little company with that."
Woolery spoke extremely high of his teammates and the friendship they all have built.
"As much as I'm with them all the time at meets, I'm with them when we're not working out, basketball games... Anything that we've got going on we're pretty much always together," said Woolery.
Being only a junior, he's started to think more about his future after high school. Yet, the focus remains on the present.
"It's definitely ramped up a ton in the last three weeks. I've got a little list starting... but no decisions to be made yet," said Woolery when asked about track after high school.
Woolery and Episcopal Academy return to the track this weekend at the Millrose Games, where they will look for another victory and season's best in the 4x8. Time will tell as to what they can accomplish, but at this point... the sky is the limit.
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