ZANESVILLE — The dedication and the loyalty to your school and the willingness to lay it all on the line, those types of athletes don’t come around very often.
Having each other to lean on made it a little easier, but for Fairfield Union senior Brenna Reed and freshman Abbie Pike, but what they accomplished last Saturday was impressive to say the least.
They pulled off a rare feat and something that has never been done in the school’s history. They both ran in the Division II state cross country meet at 1 p.m., and as soon as they finished, they hoped in a car and made the hour trip to West Muskingum High School to play with the Falcons’ soccer team in the Division II regional championship game at 3 p.m.
The fact they both had the energy to compete in back-to-back high-level events and to have the mental fortitude to push through any fatigue, is amazing, but they both took strength in each other.
“It was tough, but we had a great support system and that makes a huge difference,” Reed said. “I was excited because I knew I had a great cross country to team to run with in the morning and a great soccer team to play with. I knew it was going to be a hard day, but it was exciting, and I would do it 20 times again for all these girls.
“I didn’t have to do it alone really helped and Abbie impressed the heck out of me and drove me. There would be days I was tired, but the fact that she is a freshman, it motivated me. I can’t imagine doing that as a freshman, and just how she has handled herself has inspired me and made me want to work harder. It was a tough day, but it was worth it.”
For Pike, it was a little different because she was a freshman, and everything was new to her. It would have been easy for her to feel overwhelmed but having Reed by her side enabled to remain focused on the task at hand.
“Brenna motivated me and continued too, and it helped me throughout the whole season during this process,” said Pike, who has always played soccer, but is running cross country for the first time this season.”
During the year, both Reed and Pike would be at soccer practice for two hours and then get their running in for cross country, and if they weren’t able to run with the team, they ran on their own, together.
Fairfield Union cross country coach Rob Myers was beaming with joy on what the duo accomplished and said they have now set the standard for future athletes.
“This is a first for them and first for the Fairfield Union program as a whole,” Myers said. “What they accomplished is uncharted territory. They are special athletes and they have set the example of what is doable. The fact they were able to compete in a two state events in the same day, and be mentally tough to do it, is special. I couldn’t be prouder of them.
“For Abbie to do it as a freshman is remarkable, and for Brenna, as a senior, she has helped form and set the tone for this program in an incredible positive way. Just her presence and leadership has been so impressive.”
If you are thinking both will now have time to rest a little bit, they won’t. They both play basketball and plan to run indoor track.
“As a senior, I didn’t want to have any regrets, so I decided to do both and take whatever came with that,” Reed said. “I love all these girls so much and my school is amazing, so I just feel blessed to be in this position.”
Tom Wilson is a sports reporter for the Lancaster Eagle Gazette. Contact him at 740-689-5150 or via email at twilson@gannett.com for comments or story tips. Follow him on Twitter @twil2323.
This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Reed and Pike's dedication, loyalty to their school on full display
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