A&M cross country standout stays busy preparing for med school

Texas A&M senior Kevin Burnett had an ulterior motive when he began running cross country at Annunciation Catholic School in Albuquerque, N.M.

"At my school, the size of your trophy at the end of the year depended on how many sports you did," he said. "The reason I did cross country, initially, was because I wanted that bigger trophy."

So he added distance running to his already booked schedule of volleyball, track, tennis and basketball. Even in middle school, Burnett always had to be doing something.

Some things have changed, notably the number of sports he participates in, but Burnett's life is still frenzied. The chemistry major and cross country standout aspires to be an orthopedic surgeon. He's shadowed a doctor in his hometown for more than 300 hours. He's maintained a 3.85 GPA in hopes of attending the University of Pennsylvania medical school. And he's bound to become a superlative.

"I was talking to my adviser [Tammy Tiner] and she said that when I graduate -- she's been here for 26 years -- I'll be the first athlete to graduate with a chemistry degree since she's been here," Burnett said.

The heavy courseload coupled with the schedule of a collegiate athlete doesn't lend itself much relaxation. Burnett said a typical day consists of practice from 6 to 9 a.m., class from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., studying, and bedtime.

"It's pretty rough," he said. "I pretty much don't do anything except run and school."

But he does both pretty well. He holds the school record in the 3,000 meters, participated in the National Championships as a freshman, and ran in regional meets with the track team.

Burnett says his most successful races are when his mind is empty.

"My best races," he said, "I don't think. Nothing's going on up there, really. I'm just going. Every now and then, I may think to push here or to pass there, but those are my best races, when in, like, 24 minutes, I'll have four or five thoughts."

When the competition heats up in a race, he said the toughest part is pacing himself. However, he always hearkens back on the multitudes of miles he has run in the last 10 years.

"I've done enough running that I know what I'm capable of," he said. "If I'm in the lead and we're going 7:20 pace, then I'm OK with that. As long as I'm there and competing hard and within myself."

With the Big 12 Championships coming up on Saturday at Pebble Creek Country Club in College Station, Burnett and his No. 24 men's team look to continue a resurgent year in which the program became ranked for the first time since 2008. For Burnett, it is one of his last races before moving on to the real world. Just don't tell him that.

"I don't like to think about the fact that it's almost over," he said.