By Tom Rohrer
A quick reaction may be the recipe for success in sprinting events.
Starting fast, adjusting to your opponent’s performance, and kicking it up towards the finish line are all tasks that need to be checked off in the span of 100 or 200 meters.
Out at Elma High School, a once freshmen phenom is now hitting her full stride heading towards the state meet. A junior is following in his brothers footsteps, hoping to win another state championship for his family.
The Eagles, led by longtime coach Dave Beeler (in his 22 year coaching) were well represented at the South West Washington District 1A District Championships at Rainier High School on Friday, May 17, taking fourth place in both the boys and girls team championships.
All three of the Eagles first place finishes were by either sophomore sprinter Natalie Grant or junior sprinter/hurdler Ray Stark.
Grant, who finished second and sixth in the 100 and 200 meter races respectively at the 1A State meet as a freshmen, took home first place in both events at the district meet. Her 200 meter time of 26.23 seconds is a personal record, while her 12.80 performance was her best time of the season.
Stark, who ranks in the top ten of 1A sprinters in the 100 meters, finished third behind Hoquiam’s Nolan Hoiness and Devin Kelly in the event. The top 300 meter hurdler at this point of the year among all 1A athletes, Stark finished first in the event in Rainier, running a state-best 39.52 for 2013.
Stark is hoping to fulfill the family legacy in sprinting and hurdling events, as his three older brothers Joel, Christian and Aaron all competed at the state level for the Eagles. Just last year, Joel Stark, now an assistant coach for the Eagles, took home the state championship in the 300 m hurdles, and was joined by his younger brother on the third place 4 x 400 meter relay team.
“All of my brothers, they have always helped push me. All but one won a state title, so I look up to what they accomplished,” Ray Stark said. “When I first got here, I felt that pressure to live up to their name. I want to accomplish what they did, and be as good or better than them.”
“He’s more of a serious one,” said Beeler of Ray Stark. “You can tell he’s driven to compete and win, and I think it stems somewhat from the family influence. It’s been fun coaching them all.”
It’s certainly been fun for Beeler to coach an athlete like Grant, who, by the coach’s suggestion, runs with the Eagles male sprinters every day at practice.
The fact Grant is running her best at this point of the season is extremely encouraging given the fact she was battling injuries during the winter and early spring. Grant was injured at the end of her second season on the Eagles varsity soccer team, forcing her to miss the basketball season and come into track rusty and out of shape.
“This season, I had a rough start, and wasn’t in as good of shape because of a soccer injury,” Grant said. “Now I feel I’ve finally improved enough to where I’m running at same level as last year.”
Beeler has been impressed by the resolve Grant has displayed.
“You have to remember this is just a sophomore, and she performed so well last year that expectations were high,” Beeler said. “It’s a long season and I knew it would be one where she would have some tough times initially. But she is a fierce competitor, she works hard and now, she’s right where she needs to be.”
The state championship goals of both Stark and Grant seem more attainable given the fact that they’ve been on the stage before.
“It was exciting but extremely tough because a lot of people looked down on me because I was just a ninth grader,” Grant said of her experience at the state meet last year. “That’s motivation for sure, and having been in that setting before, I’m not scared of the experience.”
“It leads to more confidence just knowing I can run with anyone,” said Stark, who qualified for the state meet in 2011 and 2012 in the 300 meter hurdles. “I just need to do what I need to do and accomplish goals.”
Having arguably his most talented athletes being the team’s hardest workers is a blessing for Coach Beeler.
“With Ray, he’s really put his mind to improving his strength and his focus, and Natalie is a determined individual as well. She runs with the boys every day, and it’s great to see that competiveness come out between her and that group. Neither want to lose,” said Beeler, who was an All American Distance runner as a student athlete at Southern Oregon University. “They work extremely hard, and I think the other kids on the team notice that dedication.”
While both Stark and Grant have a leadership role on the team, they have a different way of displaying that leadership before the race.
“I’m moving around a lot, I’m talking to my teammates, trying to motivate them,” Stark said. “I’m kind of all of over the place.”
“I usually just get by myself, don’t talk to anyone, and just focus on me and the start of the race,” Grant said. “I’m extremely quiet at that point, and am in my own little world.”
Whatever their method of approach is, it seems to be working for the two Eagles sprinters.
“They each have the potential for a memorable end of the season, and really just a great career,” Beeler said. “It’s amazing how much they’ve both accomplished already, but you can tell they won’t be satisfied until they win a state championship. Truly, they won’t be satisfied until they win every race they compete in.”
Grant and Stark know they represent their school and the entire Elma community.
“We go to bigger meets or to state, and a lot of times nobody respects us, they think we’re just some tiny school with no talent,” Grant said. “I always want to prove that to be wrong, and I know the whole team does too.”
“I take a lot of pride in being a student here, and I will do anything in my power to represent the school in a positive way,” Stark said. “For me, that’s to win a state championship and help my teammates do the same.”
