While some people run purely for exercise or out of an obligation to fulfill extracurricular requirements, senior Madison Ricks has spent the past few years running to pursue her passion, while simultaneously commanding the attention of all by winning race after race.
Throughout her high school career, Ricks has won every single EBAL in-season track league meet in the 800- and 1600-meter races, and she has accomplished much more than most high school runners.
Ricks is the 800-meter record holder for the Cal High women’s track team. Between cross country and track, she has competed in the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) state meet, a highly selective race for the top runners in the state, three times.
These accomplishments helped Ricks earn a partial scholarship to University of Southern California, where she recently committed to run track and cross country.
Ricks is talented not only in running, but also in other sports. She played for the varsity basketball team her sophomore year, as well as on her middle school softball and soccer teams. But these past two years she has primarily concentrated on running because of her relatively recent discovery of her love for the sport.
“I just really enjoyed it,” said Ricks. “I used to do other sports, but I gradually focused more on running.”
Ricks has already achieved much recognition for her talent, especially in the 800 meters, her best event. As a sophomore, she ran the eighth fastest time of 2:09:52 in North Coast Section history, a record of times that spans 100 years now. She has also qualified for the state meet twice for track and once for cross country.
“Anyone who goes to the state meet is very competitive,” said Cal track and field head coach Mark Karbo. “She’s definitely one of the elite runners.”
Ricks is also extremely versatile, excelling in both sprinting and long distance races.
“Madison is very unique in the fact that she has incredible range,” said Cal distance coach Dave Hill. “She can race and potentially win any race from the 400 to the 3,200 on the track.”
Ricks holds high positions on four of the events on Cal’s top 10 list for track.
“No other distance athlete has these credentials,” said Hill.
Though her talent has played an important role in her successes, Ricks’ family and friends have all noted her drive and tenacious work ethic.
“Madison’s work ethic has been unusual from as far back as I can remember,” said Ricks’ mother, Collette. “She is the hardest working athlete of her age I’ve ever known. It’s something that has always been part of her personality, and something that continues to serve her well in whatever she does.”
During practice, Ricks regularly trains and keeps pace with the boys on the team, whether running around the track or out on the trails. In the summer, Ricks cross-trains with different sports, including swimming.
“She’s been known to do multiple workouts in a day,” said junior Kaelin Delaney, a track teammate and friend. “She’s an inspiration to the team.”
Senior Kathy Camenzind, also a teammate of Ricks, admires her friend’s tenacity, particularly in running the 800 meters, an extremely physically and mentally challenging race that requires runners to sprint for a long period of time.
“It’s amazing that she can go out and put herself through that week after week,” said Camenzind.
Ricks conditions year-round, and during cross country and track seasons she is at the track everyday training for her races by doing various workouts, including running hills, mile repeats, and lengthy trails.
As team captain, Ricks helps push her teammates to reach their full potential.
“She’s really stepped up to the leadership role,” said Camenzind.
Although track and cross country are often seen as individual sports, Ricks thinks otherwise, and is very thankful for the support of her teammates over the years.
“They’re really supportive,” said Ricks. “A couple teammates even drove to watch the state meet last year, which was three hours away.”
Ricks is also looking forward to becoming part of the team at USC, a Pac-12 school whose women’s track and field team placed as high as sixth at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Track and Field Championships in 2011.
She has visited the school several times and will attend USC alongside her older brother, Dalton. Ricks chose the school mostly because of the track team’s coach, who is a former Olympian, and because she liked the school itself.
“(USC) also has a really big Olympic history,” said Ricks. “I liked the balance between academics and athletics.”
Though Ricks regards the Olympics as a far-off dream, her family believes that she has the capability to pursue an Olympic career.
“If all continues to go well with her training, I have no doubt in my mind that it’s a distinct possibility,” said Collette Ricks.
Her friends also support her and are confident she will have a long, fruitful career in college and beyond.
“I think she’ll be really successful in college,” said junior Christian Aldana, a track teammate and friend. “Her work ethic will get her really far in running and in life.”
For now, she has her sights set on running a personal record in both the 800 and the 1,600 meters this year. She would also like to place high in the state meet for the 800, a goal that Aldana and Hill think is very much possible.
“I believe Madison will have an outstanding track season,” said Hill. “She has done all the prep work to give her a chance to be state champion.”
