Priest runs toward challenges in athletics, school and on stage
FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS
BY SUZANNE LOUDAMY Staff writer

Timothy Priest of Whitehouse is busy young man. Chances are you will not see his name on the post office wall however you will find his name on several sports' rosters, playbills and the honor roll - most of the time.

Priest is a 16-year-old WHS sophomore who is a long-distance runner on the track team. He runs the 1600 and 3200 meter race for the Cats. He also runs cross country.

All little kids like to run, as did Priest, growing up here in Whitehouse running the playgrounds of all the schools. But he says his real interest in running as a sport came participating in his first organized race with his mother. That was the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in 1999.

"It was for a good cause and it was a great race," Priest said. "I've been running those every year since then."

He and mom Sherri recently ran another race together. That was the Tyler Half, held back in November. Seems that Sherri is athletically blessed too and that first Komen race they ran together in 1999 started something they can truly share.

Priest was also a freshman member of the Whitehouse swim team.

"Swimming is harder on your internal system," Priest said. "While running uses just certain muscle groups, swimming uses them all. It takes a lot of work."

Running the soccer fields for most of his life played a big role in training and athletic growth for Priest. His focus and wardrobe has changed on the field to that of the man in the stripes with the whistle.

"I spend more time running around the field now, as a ref, than I did before as a player," Priest said. "I ref for kids age 10-12. The adults say I'm good with them. I guess I am. I really do enjoy it."

That may be what has led Priest to the thought that he would like to be a teacher and coach. And he said he wouldn't mind if that path led him back to Whitehouse to work.

This summer is already full of plans for Priest. One big event that he and fellow running buddies have in their sights is to run in an ultra marathon in Fort Worth called the El Scorcho Run. El Scorcho is an endurance run that takes place at midnight in the middle of the summer. This crazy run is 25 km or 50 km. That's 15.53499 miles or 31.06999 miles. The boys will be going for it all. The proceeds from El Scorcho benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Just when Priest gets a moment's breath, he takes off for his Scouting work. He is closing in on his Eagle Scout rank by building an archery range at Camp Tyler. Priest did say that he could use more funding to complete the project.

As many smart and superachieving kids are, Priest is also a proud member of Wildcat Band. He plays baritone and says he really likes learning the music as well as the teamwork that being a part of this awardwinning program brings.

On Sundays, Priest is found behind a sound board in his home church of Lanes Chapel UMC. He said he likes learning what works best for the music as well as making sure the pastor's sermons are heard by everyone.

You might not see it at first glance, but Priest wears alter egos below his athletic surface. As a member of Tyler Civic Theatre, he has earned a place on 2009 U.K. Troupe along with approximately 25 of his peers.

They will present The Mark Twain Story in the Rogers Children's Theatre as the third show of the 2008-2009 season and perform it in August 2009 at the King's Head Theatre, London, and a venue in Edinburgh, Scotland. The play is adapted from the writings of American sage Samuel Clemens, better known by his pen name, Mark Twain. Added scenes will feature Roger Miller songs from his musical Big River, based on the adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Right now, Priest says his parts include playing an adult extra for two of the plays and understudying for a donkey in another.

Spare time…there is no spare time in this guy's life, but when he has it, he sleeps.

Priest really enjoys the time he spends with his parents, Sherri and Gary, and older brother Jeremy. They like to hike and camp together. He's pretty sure that came for all the years of scouting.

If you are a believer in the saying, "Idle hands are the devil's tools," there's not much to worry about when it comes to what Tim Priest is doing. He's too fast and too busy for the devil to catch anyway.