From Rookie to MVP

Peyton Fisher’s journey from freshman runner to collegiate MVP wasn’t won from years of training, but rather from a silver lining of COVID-19 pandemic—that, and his tendency to strive for excellence and commit to improvement. Prior to the pandemic shutdown five years ago, Fisher had played soccer for eight years prior to then, but social distancing restrictions chilled the opportunities for soccer—and he went looking for a new athletic outlet. 

   Fisher turned to running after having it recommended to him due to his speed. When restrictions relaxed, he returned to soccer through his high school years, but even so, he didn’t forget about his newfound passion—and after coming to Pacific last fall, he decided to commit to the cross-country and track teams. Lucky for us: He’s already made an immense impact. 

   Fisher started the 2024 cross-country season with a time that immediately placed him well within the top 20 all-time for Pacific’s men’s cross-country runners. “My first race of the season was good,” recounts Fisher “and then I never really improved from that.” He continues, “I stayed two to five seconds away from my PR the entire season. When I ran at conference, I hit a big PR of like 30 seconds, so I would say not just getting the plaque was great, but the huge PR that came with it.” 

   Fisher’s relentless pursuit of improvement finally bore fruit with this second-to-last race of the 2024 season. Fisher further explains, “My most memorable moment was most definitely from that conference race. There’s a picture of me walking back towards the crowd after I won Rookie of the Year, and I was like, ‘What did I even win?’ That is definitely one of the coolest moments.” Whether results like these come from talent, genetics, or hard work, it takes immense effort and motivation to reach as high a level as Fisher has. 

   “My family motivates me. My family supports me through everything. They show up to everything. They’re at every meet they can make it to. Just knowing that they are going to be there to back me up motivates me. Knowing that I can always do better than last time motivates me. Knowing that I can be better motivates me. It is motivation to do the best I can, not just for myself, but for the betterment of the team as well,” Fisher shares. His sense of purpose, passion for physical development, and support systems have all helped Fisher succeed at the collegiate level. 

   Fisher has made his mark as a freshman but hopes to go even further in the future. “In my junior and senior years,” he says, “I want to try to make nationals, and senior year, try and get the whole team to go to nationals.” He comically continues, “I want to be at a competitive level to compete with the top dogs.” 

   Fisher is only one-eighth of the way through his time here at Pacific and has already made significant progress towards these goals. He is likely to break school records within the next few years, with his relentless drive setting him up for great success in both cross- country and track.