High school athletes work hard in order to be at their best when they compete. Putting in the work at practice and doing the extra work outside of practice are both important, but Isaiah Lively says that staying focused on the job at hand goes a long way. “Some of the biggest motivation in my life comes from my parents, coaches, and friends,” he said. “They push me to be better and they have shown me how to be a good athlete and have taught me how to have integrity. I also don’t want to let my teammates down.” Lively is a senior at Tonkawa High School, where he is a member of the football, wrestling, and track teams.
Investing a lot of time and effort into getting to where he is today, Isaiah has seen the fruits of his labor, leading to one of his favorite moments as an athlete. “It has taken a lot of hard work and dedication to be successful,” he said. “I think the highlight of my career was getting third place at the state track meet in the 3200m relay with my friends.” No matter which sport season he is in, Lively is thankful for the teammates that he is able to compete alongside. “Dalton Pierce and Chase Moore are some of the hardest workers on our team,” he said. “They help set the pace so we can all get collectively better as a team.” When Isaiah and his teammates suit up to compete, it does not matter to them who they are up against, they always want to get the win. But he does have one team that he enjoys getting a victory over a little more than the others. “In football, my favorite team to beat is Newkirk just because they are our rivals,” he said. “In track, it is Fairview because it is always back and forth between our relay teams so beating them always feels good.”
