Tage Mehta tore his ACL in the spring of 2021. A year later, he ran 4:20 in the mile.
Mehta entered high school in 2020. Despite the restrictions COVID-19 placed on the sport, he still found immediate success after joining the cross country team, running the fourth-fastest freshman time ever at the time trials with an 11:06 in the two-mile race.
“Although COVID made finding racing opportunities tough, I was still able to have some great races,” Mehta said. “It made me realize that I love doing this, and it’s where I wanted to be.”
Following strong cross country and winter track campaigns as a freshman, Mehta was misdiagnosed with a stress fracture in his foot that kept him from competing in his spring track season. And that June, he tore his ACL playing pickup basketball with his friends. “I was confused,” Mehta said. “I wasn’t necessarily sad, just very disappointed that I wasn’t going to be able to have my season. But, at no point did I really question whether I would be able to make it back.”
What got him through, Mehta said, was “being purposeful. I always focused on the next step. It started with looking for a surgeon and starting physical therapy. The work required for a torn ACL is intensive, but it kept me focused.”
And just three months later, Mehta returned to running. “It was surreal,” said a grinning Mehta. “It was exciting, and I was just so happy to be back.” He spent the next five months slowly building his training and continuing his physical therapy. “By the time I was done with my physical therapy, my legs were stronger than ever and bigger too. I was ready to roll,” Mehta said. He did just that, running a 2:05 in the half-mile in his first race back.
Mehta had a very successful comeback season, running at New Balance Nationals before capping his season with a 4:20 mile. “It was the most amazing feeling ever. I came through the line with my arms up, just amazing.”
As for college, Mehta said, “If everything keeps going well, I’ll have some options. I’d want to attend a good academic school, and running would only help with that.”
The future is bright for Mehta, but for now, he is staying focused on his already successful cross country season. “I want to win the Meet of Champions and go to Nike Cross Nationals. We’ve got something special here, and I don’t think people understand how good we are. But that’s ok; we’ll show them.”
