*****Photo credit – Katelee Martin
A high school athlete will create many memories during their career. Whether it is a team accomplishment or something that happened away from competition, these moments can stick with them for a while.
Jocelyn Matousek is a sophomore at Hennessey High School, where she runs track and cross-country. She says that there are a few things that stand out as some of her favorite memories.
“A definite highlight would be qualifying for the cross country state meet as a freshman and sophomore, as well as qualifying for the state meet as a freshman in track,” she stated. “In addition, my teammates and I on the Hennessey girls cross country team have won Academic State Champions for Class 3A two years running.”
The hardware that Jocelyn has achieved was not just something that was given to her. Instead, she invested a lot of time and effort and she knows she will need to keep doing that in order to reach her next goal.
“It has taken a lot of success, determination, and the drive to improve every day,” she said. “A goal of mine is to run competitively in cross country, track, or both at the collegiate level, so that is something I am working towards.”
As a student in the classroom, Matousek has learned from a number of teachers. And out of all of them, she says it is tough to choose a favorite.
“It’s hard for me to pick one teacher who has had the greatest impact on my life since I’ve been lucky enough to have many great teachers at Hennessey Public Schools,” she said. “However, as for cross country and track, I definitely have to give credit to Coach Cheyenne Baxter. Her patience and positive outlook, while expecting nothing less than 100% effort every day, has taught me perseverance and discipline to push through pain and disappointment to be the best athlete I can be.”
