Malachi Schoenherr
Sheldon, Eugene, OR, c/o 2026
AthleticNET Bio

Get to Know Q & A

- How did you get your start in track and field and/or cross country?

After playing soccer and a few other sports growing up, I first did track in 5th grade. I liked it but was focused on soccer until the end of 7th grade. In 8th grade I decided to do XC and really started training, and the rest is history.

- Your parents' athletic background. Did they play any sports-where(HS, College, Pro), what position, when, any awards?  Please include names.

My mom, Sarah, played a lot of sports growing up but didn’t pursue any of them after middle school. In college, she got into running and has stuck with it over the years, including running a few marathons. My dad, Patrick, played soccer all growing up like I did and was a 4 year varsity athlete for Churchill High School. As an adult, he has consistently been a runner and has also completed a few marathons.

- Any siblings? Please include names and genders and any accomplishments in or out of sport.

I have 2 younger brothers, Finley who is 12 and Reece who is 9. They both play a lot of sports. Finley plays lacrosse and basketball, and is really getting into running now, which is awesome. Reece plays basketball and soccer, but he’s also really into music and art.

- Outside interests- your hobbies, talents(musical, chess, anything), volunteering- what do you do in your free time?

Outside of running, I love to be outside and be active. I love hiking and going for bike rides. Going to church and staying in touch with my faith is something I do on a regular basis. I also just love spending time with my friends and family.

- At school, do you do any extracurricular activities? i.e. student government, clubs or other sports.

I am a part of the Irish Fishing Club, which is the longest standing club at my high school. Justin Herbert started the club when he was there.

- Pre- and post- race rituals. Any superstitions?

Pre-race I like to listen to music and I have some certain exercises I do right before I get on the line to warm up. Post-race I usually like to do a longer cool-down, preferably with other guys I raced with that day.. At our district meet I wore this one pair of blue and yellow socks and won 2 races. So, I decided to wear them for state and won the 3k and got 3rd in the 1500. Then for the last race of my season I went on to run a 14:27 5k in them, so they’re a tad superstitious.

- Movie watcher and/or book reader? What is/are your favorite book and/or movie and why?

 I am a big movie watcher; I watch a lot of movies with my friends all the time. My favorite movie by far is Interstellar, it's just crazy and super interesting. I could watch it everyday for the rest of my life and still love it.

- How do you deal with setbacks and triumphs?

 I luckily haven't had to deal with any injuries in my running career, but with little nags I always talk to my coach about them. And with big wins/triumphs, our philosophy (handed down by my coach) is to celebrate the big ones for that day, and then forget about them - move on to the next. An example was winning the state 3k. I was super excited during my interviews, cool down and seeing my family & friends there, but then when I got home that night I just mentally flipped the switch to get ready for the 1500 the next day.

Photo Credit: WestCoast TFXC

- Pet owner? If so, what is your pet's name and type/breed?

I have a golden retriever named Chief. I love him a lot. He runs with my parents a lot but they say I’m “too fast” for him.

- Where do you see yourself in five years?

I do really like to live in the moment and work on what I have right ahead. But, when I am asked to look forward - I see myself having even more success then I'm having right now at a top distance running college, being a good teammate and getting ready to compete in the biggest meets.

- What words would you have for your sixth grade self?

 I would tell myself to believe, that's kind of it. That one word has gotten me through so many things and it just has so many meanings for me. One meaning is to just believe in God and his plan for me, another is just to believe in myself and my training.

- Who is your favorite track and field athlete and why? How about other sports-who is your favorite athlete and why?

 My favorite track and field athlete is Sam Parsons. He has had to deal with a lot of setbacks, physically, mentally, and emotionally, but whenever you see a picture of him he always has a smile on his face, and I always strive for that mentality. For example, the European Championships in 2022 he was in the 5k and when he came across the line in 6th place, he had a smile on his face and was still super happy. Another athlete that I will always look up to is Kobe Bryant. That Mamba Mentality is something that everyone should strive for in any aspect of their lives.

- Favorite hype song, if any, before your competition

Since the song came out, it's been the last song I listen to before every race, Futsal Shuffle 2020 by Lil Uzi Vert. Judge if you want but it was stuck in my head during state so it must be doing something right. There are so many great hype songs out there but if this one isn't on the playlist, what are you doing?

Photo Credit: WestCoast TFXC

- Many athletes are quoted as saying " trust the process". What does that mean to you?

It means to take your time and to not expect big things immediately; the best things take the most time. If you are going into your first meet of the season expecting to have a massive PR, you're doing it wrong.

Photo Credit: WestCoast TFXC

- How do you balance social media with your performance? Does social media impact you positively or negatively?

I try not to pay much attention to social media except for sending funny videos to my friends. I feel like it has definitely impacted me positively by giving me opportunities with college coaches as I move into this big season of recruiting.

- Favorite and not favorite high school subject and why?

I would say my favorite subject is history. It is just really interesting learning about events that happened in and outside of our country that I never would’ve known about. My least favorite subject is anything science, which is ironic because one of my ideas for a major is Sports Science. It is just so hard and weird to understand some of the processes.

- Favorite musical artist and why? What is your favorite song by that artist?

My favorite musical artist is definitely Zach Bryan. He just has a lot of different songs and I like his voice. I am not a huge fan of country music but I really like a lot of his songs and he was kind of the artist that got me into country. My favorite song of his is “From a Lover's Point of View.”

- Favorite pre- and post- meal?

My go-to pre-race meal is always 3 hours before, I’ll eat 2 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on white bread and a RXBar- the black one of course because it’s the best. Post-race, I don’t really have a go to meal, it’s just whatever food we get on the drive back from a meet, whether it be pizza or Chick-Fil-A or a burger.

- Dire question warning :) If you were unable to continue to compete in track and field, what would you do?

If I was unable to compete in track, I would probably move to cycling, swimming, and hiking. I would just want to stay active and stay outdoors. I already do all of those things kind of but I feel like if I didn’t have running, I would have time to get better at them.

- What do you see your legacy being-in and outside the track world?

I want my legacy to be one that is remembered on and off the track. On the track, I know every serious athlete says this but I feel like it is a good goal- I want to be the best to ever do it, not just American Records, but World Records. Off the track I want to be known as being nice, compassionate, and humble, especially. I want people that knew me to tell their kids stories, not only about me as a runner, but as a person.

- What is your vice? What do you binge on that you can't seem to control?

I would say my vice is always wanting to know what people think about me. That’s one thing that I have kind of always worried about is if people really like me or not. But thoughts like those I have learned to control and not think about a lot because it is a useless use of energy.

- If you could meet anyone dead or alive, who would it be and why?

 If I could meet one person dead or alive I would want to meet Sam Parsons. I talked about him earlier and it would just be awesome to learn about his mindset and how he deals with hard times. With this question, a lot of people would just want to meet the best in their sport, which is understandable, but you can’t get better doing what other people did to get to the top, you have to go your own way.