GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER
McALLEN — From third grade, when he got his start in track, McAllen Memorial’s Michael Boltie knew he wanted to compete in college. A visit to Texas A&M five or six years ago sealed it as his dream school.
But even as Boltie kept improving his marks and racked up 72 medals reaching as high as the state meet, A&M never contacted him. So about two months back, Boltie took matters into his own hands.
“What really put me on their radar more recently was contacting them, and really saying, ‘This is what I want, this is what I have, this is what I can do for you, hear me out,’” Boltie said. “So they brought me up, showed me around, and they liked me. So I’m in.”
Boltie signed his Letter of Intent to compete at Texas A&M during a ceremony on Thursday in McAllen Memorial’s gym.
He joins one of the most prestigious programs in the NCAA, currently ranked No. 1 by the USTFCCCA with national championships in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013.
After ranking in the top two in the Valley this year in the 100-meter run, 200, long jump and pole vault, Boltie expects to compete in the decathlon. He’s also trained on the hurdles some during his career at Memorial.
“When I started, I was just a pole vaulter,” Boltie said. “Then they found out I could run pretty fast, so I started doing sprints. Then they found out I could jump pretty far, so I started doing long jump. All of these events, I’m pretty good at. So it was really just I’m a good fit for the decathlon.”
Marcus Kaufmann, a family friend of Boltie’s since he first started to show interest in the sport and Memorial’s coach before leaving last year, said Boltie always displayed a passion and talent for track.
He recalls Boltie at first being hesitant to vault before coaches pushed him. He remembers throwing Boltie into the sprinting events as something of a punishment — a way to keep the talkative athlete busy for a few minutes. He also marveled at Boltie’s natural talent in the jumps. Boltie once showed up for a meet on a Saturday morning and jumped nearly 22 feet — one of the best marks in the Valley — without putting in a day of practice in the long jump pit.
“That’s what he’s always been wanting to do is track, track, track, track,” Kaufmann said. “He wanted to go to Texas A&M. That was his dream school, his dream spot. Everything worked out for him for the best.”
Boltie will run into much tougher competition at A&M than he was used to in the Valley, perhaps none stiffer than on his own campus. Lindon Victor, a junior on this year’s roster, posted the fourth-best score in collegiate decathlon history earlier this month with an 8,446 at the Southeastern Conference Championships. The Aggies also boast two pole vaulters — sophomore Audie Wyatt and senior Chase Wolfle — who rank in the nation’s top three.
“I think it’s going to take time to fit in and develop,” Boltie said. “But (Victor) is going to be a great training partner, and I’m really looking forward to it.”
He knows the workouts will be different than what he’d done previously, with more focus on strength and endurance to be ready for every event.
He only just returned from a visit to campus Sunday, reaffirming the love of the atmosphere, city and people that first lured him when he was younger.
Despite all those factors, Boltie said it was difficult to settle on a school, turning down numerous offers including Kentucky, another SEC university. He isn’t sure what he’ll study at A&M, but he’s leaning towards either engineering or business.
“Since I was in third grade I’ve really been devoted to track, and to finally make it here is a step in the right direction,” Boltie said. “Maybe one step closer to the Olympics. Who knows? I’m just really excited that all of my work is coming together.”