Every time Abraham Perez starts to participate in a track event he has not run before, he asks one question: “What is the record for this race?”
Perez, who just graduated from Northside High School in May, has a competitive spirit that has served him well as a track athlete. He broke six school records in track and earned region champ status two years in a row for the 800-meter race.
The 5’7” tall, 140-pound athlete has incredible speed and talent when it comes to running. He will be able to take those abilities and his drive to compete at Troy University this fall where he will become a member of the Trojans track program. One thing that makes Perez’s accomplishments even more impressive, the speedster did not even begin running until he moved to the area as a sophomore.
Part of a military family, Perez had lived for many years in Killeen, Texas, but that changed the summer of 2011. Two days before Muscogee County Schools started, Perez arrived in Columbus. The family had not found housing and lived in a motel for the first few weeks of school. While many children of military parents are used to moving to new places, the move to Georgia was only the second time Perez had pulled up roots for a family move.
“I was very angry. I actually attempted to stay with my friends in Texas. I asked their parents if they could adopt me,” he says.
Shortly after he enrolled at Northside, Perez heard a coach ask students to consider running cross country. An avid soccer player, Perez decided to give it a try and discovered he was a pretty good runner. When the 2012 track season rolled around, he participated in several events but also played soccer in the spring. A disastrous experience at sectionals taught Perez a valuable lesson and literally set him on a new course as an athlete.
Perez went to about two track practices a week that spring due to soccer. He did well enough running to make it to sectionals. He was beating the state champ in the mile by half a lap, but during the last 200 meters, Perez’ lack of preparation took its toll. He not only lost his lead, but nine people passed him and he fell across the finish line as the 11th runner. Only ten could make it to the next event.
“My body just couldn’t take it. I just wasn’t prepared for it. I quit soccer midway through my junior season to focus on track,” says Perez.
Part of the reason Perez made the decision to choose track over soccer was the advice given to him by Northside track coach, Joe Sanders: “At that time, I told Abraham that he needed to train year-round if he wanted to make it to state the next year and that he had to make a choice between track and soccer which he really loved. Abraham, being the mature young man he is, decided that he really had a gift for running and possibly could be a great runner with a chance to run in college,” says Sanders.
Perez says with just one week of straight practice in the spring of 2013, he went under two minutes in the 800-meter and that put him in the top bracket for the state meet. For the 2012-13 season, he was Region 1-AAAAA champion in the 800-meter dash and finished seventh in the class 5A state meet. This year he dominated the 800-meter again and was named the region champ for a second year in a row.
Perez has been a participant in the 800-, 1600-, and 3200-meter races. He ran the first leg for the school’s 4×400 and 4×800 relays, and he also competed in the sprint medley and distance medley. His favorite event to run is the 800-meter because he says it affords him a chance to catch up if he is behind. Even though he has discovered he has unique abilities as a runner, Perez makes a confession about the sport.
“People ask me all the time what I am thinking when I am running, and really, I am just blank. Just trying to focus on what my stride is, where I need to put my foot, or asking where is the guy in front of me. But honestly, I despise running. It’s hard. It’s not easy. I just love beating people,” he says with a smile.
When Perez graduated a few weeks ago, he walked out of Northside leaving behind quite a legacy. He is a great example of a true student-athlete having compiled a grade point average of 3.8, and his list of athletic accomplishments is lengthy. Among the highlights of his career, Perez is most proud of those six school records he broke.
“Abraham has served as the team captain for the boys team for two years, and he has done a terrific job. He definitely embodies what it means to be a Northside Patriot student-athlete,” says Coach Sanders.
Unlike Perez’ move to Northside, when he arrives at the Troy campus in the fall and takes his place alongside other track athletes at the school, he will see a familiar face. Fellow Northside Patriot Sydney Wright is also attending Troy as a collegiate athlete and Perez says he has been getting to know a few others in the program, as well.
He is looking forward to the next level and has a bit of a warning for those who will be lining up against him: “There are records to be broken there, too. I am going to work hard and plan for some of that race day magic to happen,” says Perez with confidence.
Getting to know Abraham
Age: 18
Graduating year: 2014
Parents: Yenisel Perez and Edwin Tate
Siblings: Two brothers
Future plans: Attending Troy University, Troy, AL; track and field athlete for the Trojans; pursuing degree in Exercise Science
Major Wins:
1600m @ 2014 Jaguar Relays
1600m @ 2013 MCSD Meet 3-28
1600m @ 2012 MCSD 4-11-12
1600m @ 2012 MCSD 3-28-12
1600m @ 2012 MCSD 3-07-12
3200m @ 2012 MCSD 4-11-12
3200m @ 2012 MCSD 3-28-12
3200m @ 2012 MCSD 3-14-12
400m @ 2014 MCSD Meet 3-26
400m @ 2014 MCSD Meet 3-18
2013 Muscogee County Meet 9-24
2012 MCSD Cross Country Meet 10-9
2012 MCSD Cross Country Meet 10-2
2012 Rock Ranch Invitational
800m @ 2014 Region 1-AAAA/1-AAAAA Track & Field Championship
800m @ 2014 MCSD Meet 3-18
800m @ 2014 MCSD Meet 3-12
800m @ 2013 Region 1-AAAAA Meet
800m @ 2013 10th Annual Westover Relays
800m @ 2013 MCSD Meet 4-10
800m @ 2013 3rd Annual Nic Green Nationwide Longhorn Invitational
800m @ 2013 MCSD Meet 3-28
800m @ 2013 MCSD Meet 3-20
800m @ 2013 Heard County Invitational
800m @ 2012 MCSD 3-0
Awards & Honors:
2013-14 Signing class for Troy University CC & Track & Field
2013 2nd Team South of the Border CC Team- ga.milesplit.com
2012 2nd Team South of the Border CC Team- ga.milesplit.com
2013 1st team All-Bi-City track in the 800m- 1:57.70; 2nd team in the 1600m- 4:31
2012 Honorable mention 1600; 3200- track
2012 Northside Best Distance Athlete
2013 Northside Best Distance Athlete & Best Performance Award in the 800m dash- 1:57.70
2013 & 2014 Region Champion in the 800m dash
2014 State Sectional Runner-up in the 800m dash- 1:57.43
2012-13 Track Season
Events/best time or distance:
1st Team All Bi-City CC-Stats: Top time of 16:12; finished first at region meet and 30th at state
4th place finish Columbus CC championships-17:55.70
2nd place finish Ga. Region 1 5A CC Championships-16:53.47
1st Team All-Bi-City 800m-1:57.70- State Meet
800m dash-1:57.70 – placed 7th in class 5A state meet; region 1 5A champion, state sectional qualifier
1600m run- 4:31.42- finished 13th in class 5A state meet; region 1 5A runner-up, state sectional qualifier
4 x 400m relay A- 3:25.22- finished 4th in 5A state meet; region champion in region 1 5A, state sectional qualifier
2013-14 Track Season
1st Team All Bi-City CC- Stats: Fastest time was 16:10; Ran a 17:50 for 47th place at state
800m dash-1:57.43 – 2 X region 1 5A champion, state sectional qualifier; State Qualifier
1600m run- 4:36.15-; region 1 5A 3rd place, state sectional qualifier
4 x 400m relay A- 3:29.88- finished 3rd in region 1 5A, state sectional qualifier
Records:
800m dash- 1:57.43- 2014-04-26 GHSA 5A Sectionals – A (Regions 1,4,5,7)
1600m run- 4:31.42-2013-04-27 5A Sectional- A (Regions 1,4,5,7)
3200m run- 10:13.85- 2012-04-17 Region 1-AAAA Championships
5,000 m run- 16:10.39-2013-10-05 32nd Annual Westover Invitational
4×800 Meter Relay-8:50.7-Relay Team 2014-03-15-Jaguar Relays
4×400 Meter Relay-3:24.50-Relay Team 2013-04-18-Region 1-AAAAA Meet
Special Feature/Columbus Valley/June 2014
Abraham Perez
Northside High School
Columbus, GA
By Beth Welch
Photos by Beth Welch
Northside senior leaves legacy of broken records
