ECS sprinter McKenzie Travis sprints to history with Triple Crown win

McKenzie Travis sprints her way into history as the Evangelical Christian School sprinter won three state championship medals. She came in first place in the 100 meter, 200 meter and 400 meter.

Travis recalled the moment she won her third state title, “I ran over to my coaches and hugged them. And was like I did it guys! Like I did it! I did it!”

That makes Travis the eighth woman in FHSAA history to complete The Triple Crown.

“I didn’t know the triple crown was an actual thing,” Travis explained. “I thought people were making it up or something. But hearing I was the 8th person to do that I was like wow that’s actually awesome.”

For Travis, winning a state championship her senior year was the perfect ending, especially as her pursuit of that elusive first title was cut short in districts last season. That’s when she tweaked her hamstring.

“Junior year I was like this is definitely my year and then I got hurt,” Travis said. “So I was pretty upset. But I was like senior year you have to do it now. Everyone wants you to do it now too. So I had to.”

What helped Travis become a historic champion? Her desire to compete.

During most of the track team’s practices, head coach Mack Mitchell said Travis, “actually runs with the boys. She challenges them. Half the time she beats most of them. Her drive when she doesn’t do well on a rep, I mean you can see the next rep come and the level of focus she has and the attention to detail, her technique is far more mature than you see on the high school level.”

That stems from when Travis first got on the track as a four year old. She was drawn to the sport because of her parents, who both ran track.

“When I was younger and I did AAU, I wasn’t the best I was always losing,” Travis said. “But I knew like this was the thing I wanted to do. I wanted to win and I wanted to prove myself. So I carried that on and have that determination with me.”

Travis will carry that determination with her to the University of South Carolina where she’ll be a sprinter for the Gamecocks.