Lansing Sun

A young Tee Muex never thought he'd be called a track star, as until just a few years ago, basketball and football were his sports calling. Or so he thought.

Track seemed like it didn't fit him – until he tried it. He's since become a high school national champion who has transitioned to being a key sprinter on the Michigan State track team.

Muex, raised in Flint Township, Mich., was always enamored by his dad Terrence Sr.'s ability to play basketball. Wanting to follow in his footsteps, he played basketball throughout his youth and eventually at Carman-Ainsworth High School. He tried track as early as eighth grade but didn't truly focus on it until his senior year of high school.

"I wanted to play basketball or football, but everybody just happened to have been a little bit better," Muex, who just finished his junior year at MSU, said. "I started to focus on track. I just happened to be good at that."

A wrist injury from playing basketball his junior year also helped Muex take another look at track. He realized while he was sidelined that even though his arm wasn't working –­ his legs certainly still could.

"I had broken my wrist," Muex said. "I wasn't able to lift weights my whole senior year because I had to focus on trying to get my wrist back together, so I just started using my legs and running. I still wanted to go to college for something – football or basketball, but that messed up my process. So, I had to focus on track."

As his senior year went on, track became the focal point of his life. Sprints were his game, and the 400-meter was his event. His times kept getting better, and more eyes began to set on him. Suddenly, he was being called a "track star" as he walked through the halls and being challenged to races after school. It wasn't long before Muex's name made its way beyond the walls of his high school and entered the minds of those on the national stage.

In the 2021 MHSAA Outdoor Track & Field finals, Muex ran a 400-meter dash in just 46.52 seconds – a time good enough not only to win the individual state title by nearly a full second but also to set the record for the fastest-ever recorded time in the state finals.

Just a few weeks later, with a state championship already under his belt, it was time to truly compete on a national level. Muex and his dad made the journey to Oregon for the Nike Outdoor Nationals. He'd never done anything like this before; he'd only really been taking track seriously for less than a year. As the rest of the national title contenders gathered, he couldn't help but feel out of place.

"I didn't really know what I was doing," Muex said. "I was expecting to just run and compete with all the other top athletes. Warming up, seeing the other athletes – I'm thinking they were warming up all extra and hard, and I'm nervous. I think I barely ate that day too; I was just nervous watching everybody else."

When he reached the starting block, however, the nerves began to subside. He focused; he was just running like he had across a football field or basketball court since he was young.

After the gun sounded and 30 pairs of feet from across the country blasted towards the finish line, he was first to cross it in just 46.13 seconds.

"I was just proud of him and shocked that he did so well," Terrence Sr. said." When he first started running track it was just something to do so he didn't have to come home from school.The track coach came and told me,'You know he's got real special talent; he's just gotta take it seriously.'"

Colleges had already been reaching out by then.Muex always wanted collegiate-level sports,but tempered expectations during high school."I thought I'd be running Division II or some school.I didn't think I'd be that good until those times,"he admitted.Then Michigan State reached out,and knew where needed go.Initially difficult adjusting,Terrence Sr.happy settled close home.For Muex,tough transition.National champion-to-college freshman months."During high school winning majority/all races.[At Michigan State]realized wouldn't win every race competing grown men.In high school main person.Now up here top athletes."Three years,college level,Muex settled.Leader Michigan State team never imagined part."Freshman looking up athletes here.People like Morgan [Beadlescomb],top athletes stuff.Now junior,freshmen sophomores coming.Looking us,time leader step up."

Terrence Sr.proud every step.Since college,easier.January,named PNC Achievers Student-Athlete Month MSU Athletics/PNC Bank recognition studies advertising management."Matured unbelievable rate me.Getting student athlete awards.Impressive-most impressive things him."

Looking towards senior year,some goals remain.Hamstring injury last season,recovering strength,yet undeterred future ambitions."Want place top three Big Ten's,nationals too."

His father confident achieving goals.Hopes professional career potential happiness continues focusing current path."Hopefully gets chance run pro.Until about 30 or too old figure.As long happy.Happy running.Glad focusing right now."

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