A pair of Ben Crenshaw, a senior runner at
Ben, who originally hails from
A teammate of Crenshaw’s at Avery High School who has achieved success in her own right on the cross country course is Banner Elk native and Lenoir Rhyne University sophomore runner Kate Griewisch.
Griewisch earned All-American honors at the 2009 NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championships as she finished 19th out of 184 runners in the women’s race and ran a
For her efforts, Griewisch was named the USTFCCCA (
An outstanding student as well, Griewisch was received the 2009 South Atlantic Conference Women’s Cross Country Scholar Athlete Award.
Although both athletes have found successes at the intercollegiate level, they give credit for their triumphs to the lessons learned as prep runners at Avery.
“I believe that my experience running at Avery contributed to much of the success I've had at LR, especially the hills and elevation that I trained in every day,” Griewisch said in a recent interview. “Also, the fact that my training at Avery was relatively laid back allowed me to really come to love running and not get burned out from over training.”
“In my ninth grade year, Coach Justin McKenzie was the first person to consider me an athlete. It set me on my path. My running experience at
The discipline that came with running transfers to other areas of living for these student-athletes, from work to school, family to faith.
“If you can find the discipline to do anything, it tends to carry all around, such as commitment to
quality of work, determination and cooperation. If you can be responsible to get up every morning, rain or shine and run your designated mileage, you can be responsible for whatever is asked of you,” Crenshaw said. “My teammates at Avery and at Mars Hill were all truly religious. It’s amazing how much better athletically that helps you to become.” “There are definitely disciplines that come with running cross country that apply to other areas of my life. I find that if I put the same work and dedication into school, church, and relationships that I have for cross country I will experience the same amount of success in those areas,” Griewisch added. “Like many things in life, you get out what you put in. Running has given me a mental toughness and taught me that all I can do is try my best and leave the rest to God.”
Throughout their prep and collegiate careers both Kate and Ben are the first to give credit to the many people who helped shape them and make them the student-athletes and people they are today.
“All my coaches, teammates, friends, and family have helped me get where I am now, but I am especially thankful for the support of my parents and brother,” Griewisch stated. “Their encouragement means more to me than anything because I know they will be there for me no matter how well I perform in athletics or academics.”
Crenshaw noted multiple Avery influences that helped chart his course.
“Coach Don Reinhoffer made me fast enough to get the attention of college coaches. Once you get your head in the right place, your body follows, and Coach Don could say the words that made you a runner better than anyone I ever knew. After that, all I wanted to do is practice, and I know I owe him a lot,” Crenshaw elaborated. “Coach Mike Owens at Mars Hill also understood what to say to inspire me to run more and run better, and many of my Mars Hill professors were also runners and were supportive of the team. Knowing that I had their backing made me work harder in the classroom as well as out. My parents had the biggest role to play by supporting me every step of the way. Without them I don't know where I'd be.
Congratulations and best wishes for continued success to these outstanding individuals and representatives of
