Brandon Vaughn - Lake Highlands
What was your most memorable race/moment?
My most memorable race has to go to when I ran on our regional qualifying 4 X 400 relay team! I was not at all expecting to run it, especially after I had just qualified for regionals in the mile around 10 minutes before hand. But sadly, one of our runners got injured in warm ups and our coach needed me to fill in. I ended up running a decent 3rd leg, and our anchor was able to catch the 4th place team in the last 10 meters to send us to regionals! It was quite a race, and I was glad to be able to be a part of 
it!
Who would you consider your biggest competition over your four years?
I would definitely have to say Griffin Beitter of Highland Park High School. Every time we raced, we would always go head to head and finish pretty close to each other. But even through the fierce competition, he has ended becoming a second teammate to me and one of my better friends. And I wish him the best of luck at the University of Kansas next year!
What was your greatest accomplishment?
My greatest accomplishment has to go to when I PR'd and ran 4:23 for the mile at Jesuit Sheaner Relays! I came into the race hoping to break 4:30, and ended up hitting a 6 second PR and placing 7th! This also meant I was only 3 seconds away from breaking the school record in the mile (sadly I couldn't break it) and also gave me the confidence that I could compete against some of the top guys in the area! It was just an honor to be a part of such a prestigious race and run against great competition!
If you could do it all over again what would you change about your running career in high school?
I would not change anything! Every injury, PR, win, loss, and bad day have helped me become the runner I am today!
What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
The most difficult obstacle that I have had to overcome would be returning from a stress fracture at the end of my sophomore year. It was tough having to take 12 weeks off from running, and it was even more frustrating not being able to run as fast as I would have wanted during the following xc season. But I was able to learn from that experience and will make sure I never make the same mistakes again!
What will you miss the most?
Definitely my teammates! They are the greatest group of friends anyone could ask for, and are the closest thing I have to a second family! And as much as I will miss them next year, I know each and every one of them have bright futures ahead!
What advice you would give to younger athletes?
To never give up, and work hard to accomplish your dreams!
What influence has your coach had with respect to your performance and overall life goals?
My coaches have always been there for me and believed in me, even when there wasn't a lot of stability there (3 different coaches in 4 years)
What are your college plans?
I will be attending Lincoln Memorial University, where I will run for the Railsplitters while also majoring in kinesiology
Who would you like to say thank you to?
To all my friends, family, teammates, and everyone in the Lake Highlands community who have supported me over these past four years! I could not have done it without yall! I would also like to thank everyone at LMU who have given me the opportunity to accomplish my dream and run in college!
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
I would like to say thank you to everyone at TX Milesplit for promoting high school running across our great state!
What was the funniest thing that happened during your running career?
The funniest thing that has happened to me over these past four years would have to be our team dinners this past cross country season! Nothing bonds a team better than Italian food and shopping cart races behind Albertsons!