For Perry junior Marcus Meri, this week’s state track meet will be more than just a proud team accomplishment, but rather it will a crowning personal achievement for a young man who wasn’t sure if he would play sports again after a serious leg injury in the fall of his freshman year.

“I was playing football and broke both my fibula and tibia in my leg,” stated Meri.  “The doctors said it was a very severe break.  It was a very long and frustrating process because I couldn’t walk for more than a month and a half and the rehab I went through was very extensive.  I remember pushing hard each and every day in rehab with the goal of getting back on the football field.  There were a lot of ups and downs along the way but reaching an event like state this week made it worth it.”

As Meri indicated, the rehab process was a very lengthy one but it allowed Meri to prove to himself what he could accomplish at an early age.  Most patients with this type of injury struggle to get back to normal walking activities in nine to ten months.  Meri was back in five months.

“It was my love of football and track and field that just kept driving me.”

The junior missed all of the freshman track season and a good chunk of last year’s spring season as well.  He was able to compete late last spring in track and field and build confidence in his surgically repaired leg.  Meri was a two way contributor for Head Coach Jason Olejniczak on the football field this past fall.

Meri will compete for Perry in the 4×400 meter relay at this week’s state track meet.  He will team up with Adan Medina, Scott James and Keegan Pfau.  Running on the blue oval at Drake Stadium will represent a full circle for the determined young athlete.

“It really is a neat feeling for me.  State is such a cool event and I am looking forward to running with my team mates and representing Perry.   Track has helped me out in so many ways for football with building my endurance and developing correct running forms and simply competing.  It will be a lot of fun.”