Makayla Ward is a track and field athlete at Catawba College, but she's not just any athlete–she holds multiple school records in indoor track at Catawba and has a personal record time of 2:25.18 in the Indoor 800 meter run. Makayla is an Exercise Science major and excels both on the track and in the classroom. Here's her best advice on recruiting, academics, nutrition, and more.
Why did you choose to further your athletic career at Catawba?
I chose to run in college because of the love I had for track and field but also the joy competing gave me. I also wanted to see how good I could become at a high level with stronger coaching and training schedules.
What is your major/field of study? Why are you passionate about this? Does this have any relation to your athletic career?
I am an Exercise Science major with a concentration in Human Performance. I have always been interested in the way the body works but beyond that, I am interested in studying the different ways the body can be pushed and what happens to it during different exercises/workouts and training styles. My major does correlate to athletics in many ways other than the training aspect by me learning about everything I know now and will continue to learn, which has helped me become a healthier and more well-rounded athlete on and off the field.
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What is your greatest accomplishment on the track while in college?
My greatest accomplishment would be getting All-Conference in the 4×400 meter relay during my freshman year of college for Indoor Track.
What is your greatest accomplishment off the track while in college?
Coming back from major hip surgery that I had at the end of my sophomore year would probably be my biggest accomplishment off the track during college. The amount of time it took to relearn how to walk and eventually run showed me how determined I was to get back to the sport I loved. It also showed me how strong I never knew I was for going through that and bouncing back in the time that I did.
What did you look for in Catawba?
I looked for a smaller school who would look at me as a person, rather than a number and would be more personal with me inside and outside of the classroom. I also looked for a school that was closer to my home. One of the main reasons I looked at Catawba is the family environment that it has for a team as well as the academic side.
I try to be a leader and be there for my teammates, both on the men's and women's teams. I also lift up the team no matter what. I cheer everyone on during a workout, even if I am running beside them.
-Makayla Ward
What is your greatest asset to your team? What is your greatest accomplishment as an athlete?
I would say I bring a lot of wisdom to the team. I try to be a leader and be there for my teammates, both on the men's and women's teams. I also lift up the team no matter what. I cheer everyone on during a workout, even if I am running beside them. My greatest accomplishment as an athlete would be holding two school records for Indoor Track in the 4×400 meter relay and the distance medley relay.
Do you find it hard to balance school work, practice, games, workouts, and other extracurricular activities?
I find it challenging at times to balance school and practice, but other times it comes naturally. As a student athlete, there has to be a lot of discipline in order to be a great one, earning good grades and having a good athletic career. One phrase I try to remind myself of is, “Don't think, just do.” As a student-athlete, the more you think about what you have to do, the more it becomes overwhelming and stressful. My consistent determination and hardwork, though, have paid off so far in college. Having multiple calendars in my room and on my phone help me stay on track to meet all due dates and important events each week.
What made your recruiting process easy/hard?
I used the North Carolina High School Athletic Association to get my name and athletic profile out to college coaches and that made it so much easier for coaches to get in contact with me and for me to narrow down what I was looking for. I was able to choose the location of where I wanted to go to college along with the major I was thinking about studying, which eliminated the schools that did not offer what I was looking for. The hardest part, of course, was actually narrowing it down to make the final decision.
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What were some of the ideals you held or things that you looked for in a school or coach during the recruiting process?
As a student-athlete, I was looking for a coach that would be committed to the school and not looking to move for a while. I also wanted a coach that was nice but also knew how to coach yet be firm when it was needed and one that would be easy to talk to but could also tell me if I needed to do better. When going on tours of various schools, I looked for the way the coaches interact with the athletes as well as any other assistant coach. This helped me see the coach as more of a person than simply just a coach. It was very important to me to find a coach that I felt comfortable going to if I needed to talk about anything dealing with the sport or even my personal life. My expectations were not too high for any particular school, in general. Yes, I looked at how good the academic programs were but as long as the school had the major I wanted to pursue, it was up to the athletic side to make my final decision.
How do you handle stress and pressure, on and off of the field?
I am a type of person who stress eats, but when I feel like doing so, I try my best to grab healthier snacks rather than junk food or soda. I listen to calming music and take time for myself to decompress. I typically hang out with friends outside of my team to help me relax from athletic stress. For academic stress, though, I will take breaks from studying and clean my room or just listen to music. Because I am a runner, I find that I take out a lot of my stress, both athletic and academic, during hard workouts and runs.
Do you have any nutrition tips that you mind sharing?
As an Exercise Science major, I am required to take a sport nutrition class and that class has helped me become a healthier athlete and more knowledgeable about what my body needs the most for the type of athlete that I am. It is important for student-athletes to calculate the macronutrients needed to sustain their weight or even gain weight. Some tips I would give an incoming freshman include to know what the cafeteria offers besides what they offer each day. At Catawba, the cafeteria may serve fried chicken, but they always have grilled chicken for those that do not like or cannot eat fried chicken. Another tip would be to eat more vegetables and stay away from fast food restaurants.
What is your favorite food? On-the-go snack?
My favorite food is grilled chicken and pasta and my favorite on-the-go snack is a protein bar or granola bar. It depends on the time of day it is or if I have a race or practice right before or after I eat, though. I also love grabbing a banana to eat. Any protein bar that has peanut butter, though, is my favorite.
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* Originally published on September 21, 2022, by Caleb Myers
