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Thornapple Kellogg High School

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go trojans!

Thornapple Kellogg High School

go trojans!

Thornapple Kellogg High School

Game Summaries & Headlines.

Game Summary

3.0 years ago @ 8:30PM

Girls Varsity Cross Country vs. Barry County Championships

Game Date
Nov 2, 2020

Barry Country Championship @ Lakewood

The Barry Country meet is one of my favorite meets of the year for a variety of reasons. I won’t dismiss that one of them is that we have a tendency to win this one. I like this aspect, and I like it a lot. Very often we are fighting as the smaller fish in the pond, and sometimes it’s fun to flex our muscles a bit and be the big fish. However, the other reasons have more to do with personal accomplishments, closing the book on the season’s chapter for many of the athletes, and looking at what the athletes put together on the day. 

Yes, Jessie decided she wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to be Barry Country Champion once again. Yes, the team won in dominating fashion. Yes, it was a celebration of sorts to end the season...and then there are the individual storylines.

Not in any order of importance: Holly dipped under 21 minutes again, Lucy nearly went under 21 minutes, and Lindsey ran a PR, and under 21 for the first time all season. These are great for setting the tone for next season. 

Emma Schut ran a PR running under-24. Ali ran under 24, which she needed to do in her last opportunity of the season to earn a varsity letter! Mollie decided today was the day she was going to get after it and ran a PR of over two minutes! Anna ran roughly a 30 second PR. First year runner, but senior, Christel Hoskins ran a PR of 26:38. Her first meet she ran a 29:01! Olivia, who has been trying to break 28 all season, crossed the line in 27:36. Keslsey Smith, after being out ill for what seemed like an eternity was able to come and support us, even though she couldn’t run because she wasn’t strong enough. Again, the headline of “TK Wins” is great, but these were the stories of the night. 

Then there was the sadness that was in the back of our heads, but still deep in our hearts. It was very evident that Kendall was still not back with us running that last finish line, as we like to do as a team in our last meet. It was evident that Emma Thompson and Ainsley Oliver were not on hand for their personal reasons. It doesn’t matter why they were not there, what matters is that we noticed, and that we missed them.

Finally, there was senior Megan Bargy. When Megan came in as a freshman, she came in with six other athletes. The following year I think there were four left from this class. Her junior year there were two, and this year she was the last one from that initial group of seniors.  She wasn’t there tonight. Again...we noticed.

Megan was removed from running not only from the last meet of our season, but the last meet of her cross country career. She had been quarantined for close contact. Nothing she would have chosen, and it was nobody’s fault. It just...was. We pinned a bib to the front of an extra jersey tonight, because even though she couldn’t be there in person, she was there in spirit. She emailed me earlier in the day and told me how sad she was that she couldn’t be at this meet. Yes, sad that she couldn’t run in her last meet, but also because she wanted to be there for the girls. She wanted to be there to finish with her sisters that she had come to know and love. She wanted to run away in the sunset like she watched so many seniors do the years before her, as we applauded their time, their effort, their commitment, and their love of the sport and of the team. 

The girls ran across that last finish line tonight and they held that jersey so Megan could cross it with them. Here’s to you Megan. We applaud you, love you and we wish you the best. We are very proud of all you have done and for all that you have been for our team.

Girls, you know what I’m going to say, and each time it doesn’t get any less true...more so actually. I’m proud of you.


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