Dave Scott, a champion tri-athlete from the 1980s, once said, “If you set a goal for yourself and are able to achieve it, you have won your race. Your goal can be to come in first, to improve your performance or just finish the race — it’s up to you.”

When I first stepped onto N.C. State’s campus as a freshman, I had no idea what to expect from college. I decided to set some goals for the next four years. I didn’t write them down or pray about them or anything, but I mentally hashed out three things to shoot for.

My first goal was to graduate in four years, which I guess is a pretty standard objective. Though I’m still not quite sure how a student who’s illiterate in math can graduate from State in four years, with a few summer sessions and a little bit of luck, I’ll be degreed on May 13. So check off goal No. 1.

My second goal was to find something, anything, to become a part of. I wanted to be a contributing factor to something that was bigger than me, but dependent on me as well. I did the intramurals thing and floated around the fraternity scene for a while, but eventually I found a home at Technician.

I can’t remember why I started working here, but I’ll never forget my first assignment — the 2004 wrestling opener at Campbell. I had never seen a wrestling match and knew as much about sports writing as J.J. Redick knows about poetry, but I thought I’d give it a shot. After my first article was ripped apart at the limbs in the editing stage, it eventually landed in the bottom right corner of the sports page.

It might have been four inches long and was about as interesting as a German comic strip (nothing against the wrestling team; my story just sucked.) I didn’t care. As terrible as it was, there was one line in the story that made up for its shortcomings — “by Michael Breedlove.” What a great line.

I eventually got decent enough to take on feature stories and got to meet seemingly every student athlete this school has. The athletes I’ve met are some of the most talented people in the country and some of the friendliest people I’ve ever encountered.

There’s Cullen Jones — the NCAA champion swimmer — who might be the most humble national champion in the history of sports. There’s Leroy Harris — an offensive lineman with one of the nastiest drive blocks and one of the biggest hearts in the game. There’s Garrett Cummings — a wrestler who doubles as a rock star.

Every athlete I’ve encountered has a unique story to tell, and each one has done so with a genuine smile and a neighborly disposition. So be proud, NCSU — the athletes who represent your school are some class-A citizens.

The experience has, for the most part, been incredible — I mean what other college student gets a front row seat to the Duke/State game at Cameron Indoor Stadium (and nearly gets tossed from the game because he throws his pen out to halfcourt, accidentally)? Big thanks to my editors: Austin for giving me a chance, Ian for giving me some lessons and Tanner for, well, being a cool guy.

So be a contributing part of something. Check.

This brings me to my last goal — try to have a little fun while I’m here. Without trying to get an R-rating on my first and last column, I’ll say I had plenty of fun these last four years. Keeping the “fun” sports-themed, I remember jumping onto the Carter-Finley grass my freshman year and trying to climb up the goal posts. I remember running around the RBC Center floor like I was on fire my sophomore year after we stunned No. 1-ranked Duke. I sort of remember tailgating. To sum up my experiences at State — it’s been the best times of my life. Check off goal No. 3.

But just like Herb Sendek’s coaching career at State and any Jessica Alba movie, all good things have to end eventually. In a week, I’ll pop out of the bubble us college students exist in and fall into the real world.

If anybody’s still reading this, I’d love to be able to tell you I have everything planned out; that I’m going to work my way up the corporate ladder though blood, sweat and tears. But honestly, I have no clue where I’ll be a month from now. I have one job offer on the table and that’s to play bass on tour with an unnamed singer out of Nashville, Tenn.

But whatever the future holds, I’ll always look back on my time at NCSU and smile knowing I finished my race. So by Dave Scott’s standards and my own personal admission, I won. So if you’re still with me, I challenge you to set some goals for yourself. They don’t have to be life-altering achievements or anything, just reasonable things you feel would enhance your life, even if only slightly. I won my race. Now go win yours.

Michael can be reached at sports@technicianonline.com, or you can call him at 515-2411.