Cole Lindhorst was born to run. It is in his blood.

Growing up in a family of runners, the Tompkins senior’s fondest childhood memories were of his mother, Grace, beating him in races as a fifth-grader. When he won gold in the 1600-meter race at the UIL Class 6A state track and field championships in the spring, all Lindhorst could think of was what it meant to his family.

“It’s a big deal. My family has a history in the sport,” Lindhorst said.

Perhaps not as big of a deal, however, as Chris and Grace learning Oct. 13 that their son would be following in their footsteps.

Lindhorst verbally committed to the Air Force Academy that Sunday night, pledging his future to the same university where his parents first met as runners for the track team.

“My parents wanted me to make the decision for myself, so I didn’t receive any pressure from them to go to Air Force,” Lindhorst said. “That being said, it was definitely appealing to run in the same uniform they did.”

Lindhorst will run cross country and track at Air Force, and he is open to trying any and all events, from the mile up to the 10,000-meter race.

In the meantime, Lindhorst is hoping for a strong finishing kick to his Tompkins career.

He won the District 19-6A cross country meet Oct. 18 and is likely bound for state once again. In the spring, he is eager to defend his championship in the 1600 race, while also shooting for gold in his other event, the 3200.

Lindhorst recently spoke to The Katy Times about his decision to commit to Air Force, and more.

Q: What other schools did you seriously consider? At what point did you know for sure that Air Force was the school for you?

A: I seriously considered six schools in this process: Oregon, Washington, Texas, Syracuse, North Carolina State and Air Force. Air Force was not a clear frontrunner the entire way, but I was definitely excited about that opportunity. I knew for sure that Air Force was the place for me after my (last) visit (Oct. 11-13).

Q: What did you like about the Air Force Academy? What specifically attracted you to the school?

A: The people that surround the academy was the most appealing thing for me. The team, coaching staff and support system at Air Force was great. I also have wanted to serve in the United States military since I was a kid. Along with that, the team has a bright future ahead that I want to be a part of.

Q: After last season, what are your goals and expectations for this senior year? What do you want to accomplish?

A: For my senior year in cross country, I want to continue to win races as a team and individually. Since our team at Tompkins is very young, I hope I can lead them in the right way so that in a couple of years they are equally as successful. For track season, I’m going to try to defend my title in the 1600 at the state meet. I also want to try to get as close to the four-minute mile barrier as I can. As a team, I want to help Tompkins repeat as district and area champs.

Q: In what ways do you want to improve and grow as a runner this year so that you'll be ready to compete collegiately next year?

A: The biggest thing that I want to improve on for next year is getting mentally tougher in workouts and racing. I also want to continue progressing aerobically and work on my kick at the end of the race.