Elise Cooper has already begun making waves in Texas track and field. The freshman sprinter from Owings Mills, Maryland, made her debut for the Longhorns in January at the Razorback Invitational, an indoor meet hosted by Arkansas.
At the invitational, Cooper placed third in the 200-meter sprint with a time of 23.13 seconds. Also participating in this event were athletes from schools like Georgia, South Carolina, Florida and more. Of the Southeastern Conference competitors in this race, only one placed ahead of Cooper.
Cooper is tied for the 3rd fastest time in the high school girls 300-meter event with a time of 39.66. In 2024, as a junior in high school, Cooper won the Gatorade Maryland Girls Track and Field Player of the Year award, presented to a select few high school athletes each year to recognize their athletic achievements.
Despite being a decorated high school athlete, collegiate running was something completely new.
“We had fall training, which was so different,” Cooper said. “I felt like I was going to war, but it definitely helped me adjust and it set me up for the rest of the season.”
However, she quickly rose above the level expected of her.
“(She) has continued to demonstrate exceptional teamwork and a strong understanding of what it takes to reach her full potential,” Ricky Morgan, assistant coach for sprints, hurdles and jumps, wrote to the Texan. “She possesses an unwavering determination to excel in everything she does.”
Cooper’s attitude towards track has contributed to her own success while also positively impacting her teammates.
“I see (track) not as a job or something I have to do, but as something I’ve been really passionate about my entire life,” Cooper said. “I also use that (mindset) when hyping up my teammates.”
After only a few meets, Cooper faced the NCAA Indoor Championships, a moment she described as “surreal.”
“Being a freshman among all these great athletes at a national championship, it was a little scary, Cooper said. “But I also had that moment of ‘I made it here. I belong here.’”
At the championships, Cooper placed seventh in the 200-meter event with a time of 22.91 seconds.
The Texas Relays, however, were the main event for Cooper in her first season at Texas — and she got to experience a true home crowd environment for the first time.
“The energy there is unmatched,” Cooper said. “We’re Texas, and we have all these people in the stands, supporting us and cheering everyone on.”
At the relays, Cooper placed first in the 4×400 meter relays, along with teammates Amelliah Birdow, Ramiah Elliott and Bayleigh Minor.
As a relay runner, Cooper values the connections she has made with her teammates.
“When I got here, Ramiah Elliot and Kendrick (Smallwood) told me that I could rely on and go to them,” Cooper said. “I felt really welcome because of them, because of everyone.”
Cooper has brought new life to the program despite her brief time in Austin, and hopes that the program can help her form new relationships and reach even greater heights, as Cooper “would definitely like to go pro.”
“I hope Texas takes me to the highest level,” Cooper said. “(I hope Texas) takes me as far as I am able to go for track, but also, I hope to gain more relationships and connections not only to my teammates, but (also) classmates here.”
