Bishop Chatard senior Phoenix Boyer planted his yellow spikes near the goal line at Lawrence Central. The same kicks that he used to run 48.86 seconds in the 400 meters at the boys track sectionals last week.
A few minutes after adding another medal to his collection, Boyer preached consistency in a sport that demands mental fortitude. The type of energy that has established him as one of the best in Indiana high school track and field.
Behind his humble persona, he has run like a man possessed over the last few years. Flexing his galvanizing power each time the metal pins on the bottom of his spikes has gripped the surface.
“You got to work hard on the track,” Boyer said. “Just being consistent, constantly working gets the results.”
The Indiana commit owns school records in the 400, 110 hurdles, 300 hurdles and 4×400 relay. He was a state runner-up in the 300 hurdles during his junior season and placed second in the 4×400 as a sophomore and junior.
His latest milestone is being named the Indianapolis City Male Athlete of the Year.
Boyer doesn’t tower over his opposition. He doesn’t usually have a size advantage, but the dawg in him is just as imposing. Boyer’s evolution from his freshman year to senior year has been infused by confidence. As a high school rookie, he was much more undersized. As the years flew by and the accolades built up, Boyer grew taller in his self-belief.
“I’m not a very big guy but when I was younger, I was looking at these other big kids I was like, ‘Dang, I don’t know if I can compete with them,’” Boyer said. “But now I know I’m on the same boat as them. If not, able to compete as well as them.”
After a standout eighth-grade season, Boyer ran the opening leg for Bishop Chatard’s state 4×400 relay team as a freshman. That opened the floodgates to what he was able to achieve.
As a sophomore, he was an individual state qualifier in the 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles. He also helped the Trojans place second in the 4×400 relay — a result they repeated the following year during his junior season. That year, he was also a runner-up in the 300 hurdles.
Boyer honed his skills at practice, where he clocked in workout times that very few runners could match. Consistently crushing the clock has made him run with conviction.
“He did these workouts over and over,” said Bishop Chatard coach Sean McGinley. “Truly, these workout times that he was running were times that I had never seen, and the more and more he had those types of workouts, especially in his junior year, his confidence really increased.”
Boyer’s ambition is fit for a star athlete. The future Hoosier wants to achieve the highest honor that can be bestowed to a preps track star and understands that he must keep his foot on the gas to do so.
“What’s unique about Phoenix is that his expectations are very high,” McGinley said. “So, he has lofty goals, high school goals and post-high school goals that directly correlates to how his work ethic is.”
Like a race car, Boyer has put in the miles to win. His horsepower complements his massive fuel tank for the grind.
“Obviously, people throughout the season get tired of constantly working hard and hard, so I think just being consistent especially now (is important),” Boyer said about the postseason. “Trusting yourself and then trusting that you’re going to do good on the track.”
Boyer, who is third-ranked 400 runner in the state, isn’t the kind of athlete to take full credit for his individual success. He is the product of a Bishop Chatard track program that will have three athletes running for the Hoosiers next year. He is one of them.
His down-to-earth spirit won’t allow him to disregard those that have helped him become elite in Indiana high school track and field.
It’s on brand for his character. His heart and hustle have been critical to his high school journey. A tenure that now includes the honor being the Indianapolis City Male Athlete of the Year.
“All the teammates that I’ve had is a big reason why I’ve been able to accomplish everything I have accomplished — that and coaches,” Boyer said. “But I’m excited to take that work ethic to Indiana.”
Marc Ray is a high school sports reporter at the IndyStar. He can be reached at marc.ray@indystar.com , and on X, formerly Twitter, at @themarcszn.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Bishop Chatard senior Phoenix Boyer is the Indianapolis City Male Athlete of the Year
Reporting by Marc Ray, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
