Admin (Garrett Zatlin)
Feb 21, 20234 min
Minor edits of language for clarity and formatting purposes by Garrett Zatlin
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Tinoda Matsatsa is one of the nation's top middle distance talents in the Class of 2023. The St. Andrew's Episcopal School senior is currently listed at TSR #10 in our top-50 recruit rankings (which was last updated in December).
The Maryland native holds personal bests of 1:49 (800), 4:09 (1600) and 4:10 (mile). Matsatsa finished 4th in the mile at the 2023 Millrose Games, finished 3rd in the mile at the 2022 Nike Outdoor National Championships and was the 2022 AAU Junior Olympics champion over 800 meters.
It was recently announced that the middle distance prep star has committed to Georgetown. We were able to catch up with Matsatsa and ask him a few questions about his decision.
The Stride Report: Before we jump into your recent commitment, let's briefly chat about your last year of racing. You had a very strong outdoor track season last spring, but made a surprise jump in the postseason. You went from running 1:53 over 800 meters to 1:49. You also ran 4:10 in the mile. What would you attribute that sudden rise in elite fitness to? How did it feel to be running those kinds of times?
Tinoda Matsatsa: I’d say it was good consistent training day in, day out and better competition that helped me reach that fitness. I found races over the summer to run for the purpose of running faster times with faster people because I knew that what I had done during the regular outdoor track season was not up to my full potential.
Running 1:53 for the first time was painful, but rewarding, but running 1:49 was astonishing. I had gone into that race with the intention of going out fast and seeing what I could do, but never did I think that I’d run 1:49.
Seeing 1:49 when I crossed the line didn’t feel real.
The Stride Report: You've proven that your 2022 outdoor track campaign was no fluke. This winter, you've run 4:09 for 1600 meters, 2:25 for 1000 meters and 1:51 for 800 meters. Did you feel like there was any pressure for you to continue to deliver top-tier performances after a huge breakout year in 2022? What do you think has been the key to seamlessly transitioning your fitness to the indoor oval?
Tinoda Matsatsa: I didn’t feel like there was much pressure from other people, but I put a lot of pressure on myself to continue where I had left off. The key has been consistent training and looking to run races for competition and fast times instead of just racing just to race.
The Stride Report: What are your goals for the rest of your senior year? When you leave the high school scene, what do you want the state of Maryland and the rest of the nation to remember about you?
Tinoda Matsatsa: I’m hoping for my team’s 4x400 relay to dip under 3:30 by the time conference championships arrive -- and also win our conference championships.
During outdoors, my main focus is going to be the 800. I want to drop a really fast time there that’ll remain in the top-7 of all-time for years to come. I also want to leave with 2 outdoor state records to my name. I missed my chance during indoors, but it’s sure to be different during outdoors.
The Stride Report: Let's chat about college. You recently committed to Georgetown. Talk a little bit about why you chose the Hoyas. What did they have that others school didn't?
Tinoda Matsatsa: I chose Georgetown because they have an amazing history of being a great mid-distance program. The schools I was looking at had that as well, but Georgetown also has stellar education. That’s what separated them from all of the other schools.
The Stride Report: What other schools were you looking at? Did any of those schools (other than Georgetown) have a realistic shot of earning your commitment? If so, which ones and why?
Tinoda Matsatsa: University of Virginia was one of the schools. I resonated very well with the team and the coaches. It was a great experience overall and was one of the reasons why they were considered. They also have great education.
The Stride Report: When you did you realize that Georgetown was the right place for you? Was it obvious early-on in your recruitment process? Or did it take time to come to this decision? Was there anything in particular that really sold you on becoming a Hoya?
Tinoda Matsatsa: Me and my mom had always dreamed of going to a college like Georgetown, so when they reached out and showed a genuine interest, it was pretty obvious early-on that they would be a top contender when choosing where to go to college. On my visit, the Georgetown campus was beautiful and it's close to a lot of cool places in the city.
The Stride Report: Georgetown is known as one of the most historic and successful middle distance programs in the NCAA. How much of an impact did that have on your decision? Can you give us your thoughts on what it will be like to train alongside one of the deepest groups of 800 meter runners and milers in the country?
Tinoda Matsatsa: I love having training partners, so I can only imagine that it will be an amazing experience for me. Just the thought of doing speed workouts with 3 or more guys at the same skill level as me, who also love the sport as much as I do, was enough to have a huge impact on my decision.
The Stride Report: Any final comments, shoutouts or things that you’d like us (and our readers) to know?
Tinoda Matsatsa: Just can’t wait to see what’ll happen this year nationally during outdoors!