One of the first things that can be noticed when walking through Antioch Community High School is the endless amounts of plaques and trophies that celebrate the successes and accomplishments of different sports teams. Despite the team being recognized as a whole on the front of the trophy, the individual athletes who put in countless hours of hard work and dedication in order to earn it often go unnoticed.
Since sixth grade, senior Tyler Wolfe has dedicated his life to running. So much so that he is now a school record holder in the boys 4×400 meter relay and was named the Most Valuable Distance Runner for the 2023 track season. Along with the immense amount of practice it took to get Wolfe to this point, his coach, Christopher Bailey, has inspired him the most to push himself and expose his full potential.
“I would say that I look up to my coach, Chris Bailey,” Wolfe said. “He ran collegiately and was a very good runner and he knows what he’s talking about. So when he tries to give me pointers I definitely try and listen because he’s someone who has run on a much bigger stage than I have.”
The season for Wolfe is far from over still. After high school, Wolfe is attending Marquette University and majoring in exercise physiology on the physical therapy track. As of now, he is not planning on running at the collegiate level, which means that he is trying to make his last season the best season.
“It’s senior season so I don’t have a lot of time left,” Wolfe said. “So I’m going to try and make every meet count like it might be one of my last ones.”
On the other hand, senior Nora Larson has watched her Sequoit volleyball career come and go in the blink of an eye. Her strong work ethic and fierce gameplay led her to breaking the school record for most career kills. Larson was a team captain for two years at ACHS and an important asset to her club teams, as well. After high school, Larson plans to continue her volleyball career at Lake Erie College. After almost 10 years of volleyball, Larson has come to realize that her ultimate motivators are the teammates she is surrounded by.
“The people that I look up to the most are my teammates,” Larson said. “Between all the practices, tournaments, hotel stays and more, they literally become your second family. Whenever I’m struggling they’re there for me and it keeps me motivated to be the best that I can be for them. We all work so hard and I never want to let them down, they push me to be my best and I do the same for them.”
While Larson’s time as a Sequoit volleyball player is up, she made sure that she left a mark on the underclassmen that she is leaving behind. Teamwork is crucial in volleyball and that is something that Larson has learned to grasp over her years of playing.
“The main thing I focus on to be a role model for the younger kids is to focus on the intangibles,” Larson said. “Sometimes you can’t always control when you have a bad game or when you can’t hit the skills you normally can. However, the one thing you can control is if you’re a good teammate or not. No matter how I’m playing personally I will always be there to cheer on my teammates. I hope my message to the younger kids is that you can always control how you are to your teammates and your goal as a player should be to always be the best teammate that you can. I don’t always remember the best players on my team but I always remember the best teammates.”
In the end, both of these athletes have demonstrated great character and sportsmanship throughout their time at ACHS, leaving behind a legacy that should be remembered and recognized for years to come.
