Senior Eli Gonzales is a student athlete at Medford high who has been one of the most dominant track and field members for his school the last few seasons. This comes as no surprise to Eli, who’s been running track for most of his life.

“I started running track in 1st grade at the Grant County meets and never looked back.”

That consistent work ethic paid off in a huge way last year at the OSSAA Outdoor State Championships when Eli ran his best 800m time to date.

“My brother coming down to tell me I had run a 1:56 and that it was a new state record is one of my favorite track memories.”

Eli praises his brother, a freshman on the track and field team at Medford, for helping him become the runner he is today.

“My brother is almost as quick as me and as hard headed and hates losing as much as me, so we do a great job at pushing each other.”

Family and community have always played a large part in Gonzales’ career. He cites his uncle and father as some of his biggest role models, who were respected track runners during their time in high school as well. “What motivates me most is making my family proud, and leaving a mark at school,” he said. “I didn’t want to be someone who just came and went without having anything to show for it.”

Eli has always made a point to stay heavily involved with his school, being the former student council president, running track in the spring, playing football in the fall, and has played basketball, baseball, and golf for Medford in the past as well. He is also a member of the future farmers of America organization. He has been accepted into Oklahoma State, and is planning on attending mechanical engineering. Some of his favorite hobbies are hunting, tinkering with his truck, and video games.