EDINBURG – When University of Texas-Pan American men's track and field graduate student Martin Casse decided to focus on running competitively, he knew he wanted to be the best.
 
"When I decided to stop playing soccer and started to run, right away I saw good results," Casse said. "I figured I was kind of made for it. The first couple of practices I wanted to be the best. I saw some runners who were in the elite group and I wanted to be like them. I pushed myself in every practice."
 
At first, Casse's interest in running wasn't there because he liked the fact that in other sports, such as soccer, he was part of a team. When he joined his first club in 2006 he felt like he was a part of team and his interest in running changed.
 
"When I decided to join a club I was a little bit scared in the beginning to be by myself and not have my teammates," Casse said. "I was lucky to find a club who had a really nice coach and it felt like we were all a team. Every time you get on the track it is an individual effort but if you have a strong team and everyone is committed to the team then it becomes a collective effort."
 
Casse was recruited by UTPA in 2011 and he took into account what UTPA had to offer both on the track and in the classroom when making his decision.
"I was looking at both the academic and athletic part," Casse said. "I was interested in the business school and it has all the accreditations that some of the best schools had. On the athletic side, I felt that the coach at the time wanted us to do well in school and that was important to me. There were also some good middle distance runners so I wasn't going to be by myself. They were going to push me in practice."
 
While academics and athletics were important to Casse, there were other factors that helped him make his decision to come to UTPA.
 
"There were several reasons," Casse said. "The weather was another factor that pushed me to come here. I wanted warm winters to train outside. Having nice weather to train is important. Finally, the fact that the area is mainly Hispanic, I wanted to be able to improve my Spanish."
 
Casse was ready to get his career at UTPA started but there was a bit of a roadblock. Since it was late in the summer, Casse was not able to get started in the fall so he had to wait until the spring to kick off his collegiate career, which was a bit disappointing for him.
 
"The coach couldn't give me the chance to come in September," Casse said. "In the beginning I was disappointed because I was ready to go. I wanted to get started."
 
Casse looked at the situation in a positive way and he used it to his advantage. He got the opportunity to get in some special training.
 
"I thought about it and having an extra semester in France without going to school gave me a chance to train a little bit more," Casse said. "I got the chance to go train in Kenya for three weeks before coming to Pan Am."
 
Casse visited Iten, Kenya, a place where some of the best runners in the world come from. While getting to train with some of the best, Casse got the opportunity to see things in a different light.
 
"I got to learn a lot," Casse said. "When I arrived in Kenya there were kids playing in the street with tires. They may be less fortunate than most but they were grateful for what they had. They seemed happy to be alive. My trip over there was a great experience."
 
Once Casse got to UTPA, like most student-athletes, it was difficult to make the adjustment to college life. Being far away from home and in a different country, the early stages were difficult.
 
"It was really difficult," Casse said. "I got really tired early on. I was going everywhere to fill out paper work and it got really hard to figure out what was going on. It was hard to understand people and hard for people to understand me. Plus trying to get into a rhythm with practices at 6 a.m., which I had never done before. It was hard for my body early on."
 
That first season on the track and field team was something Casse could forget. As he battled injuries, he still managed to give it his all but he still wasn't getting the results that he expected, which puzzled him.
 
"My first meets didn't go very well," Casse said. "I was really trying out there at practice. I would tell coach I don't understand. I did everything I was supposed. I went to bed early and gave my best every time. I felt like maybe there was something wrong with my body and to be honest I was scared because I didn't know what was going on. I also got injured twice with a twisted ankle and pulled a muscle. I had a pretty bad season that first year."
 
In Casse's mind, it was a process that he needed to adapt to. He had seen the process work for others and he knew eventually it would work for him. In his second season, Casse started to find his rhythm as he won the 1,500-Meter Run at the Great West Conference Outdoor Championships.
 
"I stepped up to the challenge the next season," Casse said. "I really tried pretty hard to reach a certain mileage and I was pretty successful. I improved my time in the 1,500. I wasn't where I wanted to be but I made improvements, so there was some satisfaction that season."
 
In his junior season, Casse believes that is where everything changed. He started to surpass his previous times in the 800 and 1,500-Meter Runs and even started to put his name in the record books.
 
"When I first got here, I got a chance to meet Wesley Keating," Casse said. "He was a star here in the Rio Grande Valley. I saw his times and they were good enough to compete internationally. I saw his name on the records board and I wanted my name up there too. It took me two years but I got my name at the top of some those records.
During the indoor season of his junior year, Casse took first place in the 800-Meter Run and the One-Mile Run at the GWC Indoor Championships and also won the 800-Meter Run at the Red Raider Open, but there was one meet that sticks out to him the most.
 
"I had the chance to win different titles," Casse said. "I was proud to be on the top of the podium representing this school. Every time I won a championship it was really a great accomplishment but my favorite moment came last year at the Beach Invitational when I ran a 3:44. I wasn't expecting such a big time. I knew I was getting better but I didn't think it would be at that level. I won my section and I improved my time by five seconds and I broke the school record by four seconds. It was also the meet record, which is going to be pretty cool to see my name up there when we go back this year. It was a great moment."
 
Casse didn't stop there as he went on to win the 800-Meter Run that same day. He carried the momentum from his junior season into this year where he already has set new program records in the One-Mile, 800 and 1,000-Meter Runs during the indoor season.
 
Casse went on to be the first ever UTPA Western Athletic Conference Champion in the One-Mile Run and also had a photo finish in the 800-Meter Run where he finished in second place.
 
"That was a really tough race," Casse said. "It was an hour after competing in the mile and I left a lot of energy on the track. The other guy did not run the mile so he was fresh. He tried to kill the race and he knew that my legs would be tired. I was really trying to keep close and I left everything out on the track that last 150. I pushed myself really hard and we broke the line at the same time. It was a crazy finish and we couldn't tell who had won but the second place finish is satisfying especially after winning the mile."
 
As Casse looks back on his time here at UTPA, he cherishes the friendships that he has made while on the track and field team.
 
"I have met a lot of good friends," Casse said. "For example, Andy Lopez, who graduated last year. I see him almost every weekend when he comes back to visit his family. I am glad we have a strong link. I even keep in contact with Omar Doria, who came back to get his doctorate here at UTPA. We still see each other and I encourage him to come out to practice every now and then. Those guys are really good friends and I have many other friends that I hope I can keep for life."
 
Casse graduate with his Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing in May 2013 and is currently in going for his Masters. He wants to continue his studies when he goes back home.
 
"I not quite done with school," Casse said. "After I get done with the current MBA that I am doing now, I will be pursing another Masters degree in France, which is the Masters that I originally wanted to pursue. This year is a bonus and it allows me to finish my eligibility. I don't know where I would like to work but it would be great to work in the United States."
 
While he continues to pursue his goals in business, Casse also thinks about being a coach.
 
"I really like to talk about training," Casse said. "I think that is why I was able to make good improvements. I always discuss the training with coach and why we are doing a certain workout instead of something else. I always try to incorporate the knowledge that I have acquired over the years. I even pass it along to my teammates that ask for advice. I like to give advice and be there for others and I feel coaching is something that I might be interested in doing."
 
With all his accomplishments that he has done up to this point in his track and field career, Casse doesn't want to stop there. He still has his outdoor season left and there are a couple of things he wants to add to his list of accomplishments.
 
"I would like to improve my personal records," Casse said. "Last year I set my PR in the 1,500 at 3:44 and I really want to get closer to 3:40 and in the 800 I would like to run a 1:48. I believe those times would be good enough to go the NCAA Prelims and hopefully to go to nationals. My goal is to go to Oregon this year and show off the UTPA jersey. If I can do all that, that means that I put myself in good position for the conference championships."
 
However Casse writes his final chapter here at UTPA, he looks back with no regrets and is grateful for the opportunity to be here.
 
"It was a great experience here and I even learned some English," Casse laughed. "It is not great but it has gotten better. I had a great time and met a lot of people. I am proud of what I have accomplished here. I hope that I have contributed to making this program better and I am happy that we are getting bigger. I am really grateful for this experience and I would do it all over again if I could."