10/29/2026 2:06:00 PM | Cross Country, Track & Field, My Baylor Story
After last year’s heart surgery, Browne wants to make it to nationals in cross country, track
Going through what at the time was an unknown heart condition, there were times last fall when Mackenize Browne would sit on her bed and cry and wonder, "Is this the end of my track career?"
"I was definitely in emotional distress," said Browne, a Baylor senior distance runner from Moreno Valley, Calif. "I didn't know what to think, because I love track so much. Not knowing what's going on with my heart and not knowing the outcome definitely made me want to get closer to the Lord. It was definitely an obstacle in my way, but I knew that God has a plan for me, and it turned out great."
After a top-10 finish in her Baylor debut at the season-opening Gerald Richey Invitational in September 2025, the Texas transfer wasn't able to finish the 6K race at the Gans Creek Classic three weeks later in Columbia, Mo.
That was when Browne was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome, a congenital heart defect that causes a faster heartbeat because of an extra pathway for signals to travel between the heart's upper and lower chambers.
In the season-ending heart surgery, the doctors used a catheter to go through her groin up to the heart and burned off the extra pathway between her heart chambers.
"It was a long recovery," Browne said, "just due to the fact that they went through my groin. Gaining that strength back in my right leg was the most difficult part."
On the track six months later, she finished 29th (out of 41 runners) in the 1,500 meters at the Clyde Hart Classic with a time of 4:52.05 and also clocked a 57.33 time in the 400 meters, far off her career bests.
"It felt great, just knowing that I was able to put my spikes on again," Browne said, "since it had been almost half a year of me not being able to compete in a race. It was definitely a 'Wow!' moment. I had been through so much and just being able to race again . . . it wasn't my best race, but it was a shock to my body. I was like, 'I haven't felt this kind of pain in a long time.'''
The daughter of Milton Browne, who represented Barbados in the 800 meters at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, Mackenize followed in his footsteps and ran California's third-fastest 800 in state history (2:03.07) to break the Arcadia Invitational meet record.
One of the top half-miler recruits in the country, she originally signed with the University of Texas out of John W. North High School in Moreno Valley.
"The recruiting process was very hectic," she said. "I definitely muted my Gmail for a little because of the stress. I still wanted to be able to enjoy life, focus on school and focus on track. At a certain point, I did try to block it out because of the stress . . . but knowing I have to give myself time to decide which one was best for me."
Recruited by PattieSue Plumer, Browne ran under a different coach at Texas before deciding to transfer after her sophomore season. She was the Longhorns' No. 8 runner at the conference cross country meets in each of her two seasons in Austin and ran a collegiate-best 800-meter time of 2:07.27 in placing fifth at the Texas Invite.
"Coach (David) Barnett was definitely a big impact on why I committed here," she said. "I love how he's very faith-based. Having that trust and faith in him definitely impacted me on my decision. Coach (Mike) Ford is a really good person, too. I like their energy and how they work so well together."
A scoring runner in each of the four meets she's competed in this fall, Browne is coming off a 6K time of 22:02.5 at the Arturo Barrios Invitational, the second-fastest time of her collegiate career.
"Mackenize has come in and made a significant contribution to our program," Barnett said. "She's a tremendous worker with an elite mindset, and I'm excited to watch her continue to improve in cross country and track."
As she's put together more races this fall, Browne said, "my confidence is coming back."
"It was definitely a PR on that course," she said of Texas A&M's Watts Cross Country Course in College Station. "I'm hoping for another faster PR when we come back there in a couple weeks for regionals. Definitely a mindset that I want to continue having, like being positive and just happy that I'm on the course and able to race now."
With Baylor running in Saturday's Big 12 Championships in Stillwater, Okla., and then back to College Station for the NCAA South Central Regional, Mackenize has lofty goals of making it to the NCAA Championships next month in Terre Haute, Ind.
"I know it's in me, but it just takes commitment and locking in," she said. "If I can go out there and run my best race at regionals and punch a ticket to nationals, that's definitely my goal for cross season."
For track, Mackenize has her sights on the school records set by current assistant coach Aaliyah Miller, who won the 2021 NCAA Indoor championship in 2:00.69 and had an outdoor best of 2:00.87.
"I definitely think it's in me," she said. "I noticed that I got to college and ran a little timid, not as confident. Learning to be confident in my races, I feel like, will help me progress and get my times down. I feel like I'm going to be able to achieve those times and hopefully set the school record."
A political science major with a minor in child and family studies, Mackenize's long-term goals are to run in the Olympics and go to law school to study family law and child advocacy.
"When I'm done running, I definitely want to go to law school back in California," she said. "I've always loved USC law. That would definitely be a big thing I want to do. But if my plans are to stay here in Texas, I have no problems going to law school out here."
"I was definitely in emotional distress," said Browne, a Baylor senior distance runner from Moreno Valley, Calif. "I didn't know what to think, because I love track so much. Not knowing what's going on with my heart and not knowing the outcome definitely made me want to get closer to the Lord. It was definitely an obstacle in my way, but I knew that God has a plan for me, and it turned out great."
After a top-10 finish in her Baylor debut at the season-opening Gerald Richey Invitational in September 2025, the Texas transfer wasn't able to finish the 6K race at the Gans Creek Classic three weeks later in Columbia, Mo.
That was when Browne was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome, a congenital heart defect that causes a faster heartbeat because of an extra pathway for signals to travel between the heart's upper and lower chambers.
In the season-ending heart surgery, the doctors used a catheter to go through her groin up to the heart and burned off the extra pathway between her heart chambers.
"It was a long recovery," Browne said, "just due to the fact that they went through my groin. Gaining that strength back in my right leg was the most difficult part."
On the track six months later, she finished 29th (out of 41 runners) in the 1,500 meters at the Clyde Hart Classic with a time of 4:52.05 and also clocked a 57.33 time in the 400 meters, far off her career bests.
"It felt great, just knowing that I was able to put my spikes on again," Browne said, "since it had been almost half a year of me not being able to compete in a race. It was definitely a 'Wow!' moment. I had been through so much and just being able to race again . . . it wasn't my best race, but it was a shock to my body. I was like, 'I haven't felt this kind of pain in a long time.'''
The daughter of Milton Browne, who represented Barbados in the 800 meters at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, Mackenize followed in his footsteps and ran California's third-fastest 800 in state history (2:03.07) to break the Arcadia Invitational meet record.
One of the top half-miler recruits in the country, she originally signed with the University of Texas out of John W. North High School in Moreno Valley.
"The recruiting process was very hectic," she said. "I definitely muted my Gmail for a little because of the stress. I still wanted to be able to enjoy life, focus on school and focus on track. At a certain point, I did try to block it out because of the stress . . . but knowing I have to give myself time to decide which one was best for me."
Recruited by PattieSue Plumer, Browne ran under a different coach at Texas before deciding to transfer after her sophomore season. She was the Longhorns' No. 8 runner at the conference cross country meets in each of her two seasons in Austin and ran a collegiate-best 800-meter time of 2:07.27 in placing fifth at the Texas Invite.
"Coach (David) Barnett was definitely a big impact on why I committed here," she said. "I love how he's very faith-based. Having that trust and faith in him definitely impacted me on my decision. Coach (Mike) Ford is a really good person, too. I like their energy and how they work so well together."
A scoring runner in each of the four meets she's competed in this fall, Browne is coming off a 6K time of 22:02.5 at the Arturo Barrios Invitational, the second-fastest time of her collegiate career.
"Mackenize has come in and made a significant contribution to our program," Barnett said. "She's a tremendous worker with an elite mindset, and I'm excited to watch her continue to improve in cross country and track."
As she's put together more races this fall, Browne said, "my confidence is coming back."
"It was definitely a PR on that course," she said of Texas A&M's Watts Cross Country Course in College Station. "I'm hoping for another faster PR when we come back there in a couple weeks for regionals. Definitely a mindset that I want to continue having, like being positive and just happy that I'm on the course and able to race now."
With Baylor running in Saturday's Big 12 Championships in Stillwater, Okla., and then back to College Station for the NCAA South Central Regional, Mackenize has lofty goals of making it to the NCAA Championships next month in Terre Haute, Ind.
"I know it's in me, but it just takes commitment and locking in," she said. "If I can go out there and run my best race at regionals and punch a ticket to nationals, that's definitely my goal for cross season."
For track, Mackenize has her sights on the school records set by current assistant coach Aaliyah Miller, who won the 2021 NCAA Indoor championship in 2:00.69 and had an outdoor best of 2:00.87.
"I definitely think it's in me," she said. "I noticed that I got to college and ran a little timid, not as confident. Learning to be confident in my races, I feel like, will help me progress and get my times down. I feel like I'm going to be able to achieve those times and hopefully set the school record."
A political science major with a minor in child and family studies, Mackenize's long-term goals are to run in the Olympics and go to law school to study family law and child advocacy.
"When I'm done running, I definitely want to go to law school back in California," she said. "I've always loved USC law. That would definitely be a big thing I want to do. But if my plans are to stay here in Texas, I have no problems going to law school out here."
Players Mentioned
/ Cross Country
Saturday, October 24
Friday, May 22
Tuesday, May 19
Sunday, May 17
