Michael Officer, senior at Episcopal School of Jacksonville, has been named the ITG Next 2022 Northeast Florida Fall Male Scholar Athlete of the Year, presented by Wolfson Children’s Hospital, Baptist Health, and the Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute.
Officer is a two-sport athlete, juggling both cross country and track as he manages to stay on top of his academics with a 4.2 grade point average. He recognizes the importance of balancing athletics and academics as an outstanding athlete and dedicated scholar.
“Juggling the two is not too difficult when you realize they both require the same sort of mindset going into it,” says Officer. “For running, it is about going in every day with discipline and not taking a day off. Academics require the same pursuit of excellence every day.”
Officer first realized his love for running when he was in elementary school. He was playing other sports, such as soccer and basketball, and was always one of the fastest players on the team. Throughout middle school and high school, he began to realize that he had a gift for running that he wanted to pursue.
Serving as an inspiration for his teammates, Officer does not take his leadership lightly. He enjoys being a resource for younger runners.
“It feels good knowing that they can see my leadership. Now that I am older, I can teach younger kids coming into track what track is, how to run and basic things you should know,” said Officer. “I’m glad that I am valued for my leadership.”
Officer advanced through districts and regionals to qualify for states. He was named the 2021 cross country team MVP, holding four varsity letters in both track and field and cross country. He is a two-time Coach’s Award recipient for track and field.
“Cross country is a lot more developing your aerobic levels while track is more focused on hardcore speed,” said Officer.
Officer won first place at the Eagle Open, running a 10:46.40 for the 3200, and a 3:47.47 for the 4×400. He is looking forward to his upcoming track season which will be his last. He hopes to break his current personal records. Moving into college, Officer will be focusing more on his academics, but would love to join a running club to maintain his passion.
“A lot of the ideas between academics and athletics carry over to each other– like hard work over time, every day going in and out, discipline…that does help balance the two,” said Officer.
Congratulations to Michael Officer, presented by Wolfson Children’s Hospital, Baptist Health and Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute.
