Ever since he was a little boy, Smithville High School senior Brice Nieto has been running to help fight a disease that causes problems with his lungs.

Nieto, who was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when he was nine, overcame the debilitating condition and competed in the 38th National Junior Olympic Games six years ago.

His parents, Jimmy and Laura, believed he would be able to manage the genetic condition, an inherited and incurable disease that builds thick mucus in the lungs and digestive track, if he stayed in good physical shape.

After not being so sure about it at first, Brice discovered that he loved running and has been on the varsity track team at SHS since he was a freshman.

“When I run, it gives me more of a drive,” Brice said.

Despite being in and out of the hospital and hooked up to IVs throughout the years, he always keeps his head up high and is determined to get better.

“He never complains about work and always does what is asked,” said athletic director Justin Wiley. “It’s almost like he makes the work outs harder.”

The first track meet for this season is on Feb. 18, and Brice said he is ready for it.

“I’m definitely looking forward to it,” Brice said. “I want to start on the time I finished with last year (50.8 seconds) and try to beat it.”

On Wednesday, he signed and sent a letter of intent to Oklahoma City University, where he will join the track team in the fall.

Brice earned an athletic and academic scholarship at the private school that has about 2,100 undergraduate students.

“I met the coach there through my summer league, and later on the assistant coach sent me a letter saying they were interested in me,” Brice said. “When I visited, I just thought it was a really good school with a good track team.”

He said his parents are a little worried about him going to school so far away, but they know he will keep on track and do his best.

At Oklahoma City University, Brice plans on studying chemistry, which he said makes a lot of sense to him. He said he wants to be a pharmacist and help find a cure for cystic fibrosis or at least something to help treat it.