State track meet: Purcell's Cole Swayze relaxed, ready to run

And run.

Swayze has the fastest time in the 100 meters among Class 4A sprinters this year, but he'll run the 200 and 400 meters at the state meet in Ardmore Friday and Saturday, with hopes of gold in both events.

Swayze has been one of the state's fastest sprinters the last three years, a gift he primarily had utilized on the football field.

He caught the eye of Oklahoma State and earned a scholarship offer as a sophomore.

People began to wonder if he would jump at the chance to attend the same school as his father.

When he tore his ACL as a junior, outsiders' questions about his future turned to doubts about his ability to regain the talent that drew college interest.

But he fought back and showed that he was still just as fast as before the injury. And with that, his football recruiting stayed on track, with interest from several big programs.

After a broken foot interrupted his senior season of football, he turned his focus to a potential opportunity at Harvard. But when that didn't work out, Swayze found himself knee-deep in uncertainty once again.

Now, Swayze has turned away from football all together, signing with Oklahoma Baptist's track program.