Column: What it means to be a state champion

J.C. Reeves ~ Southeast Missourian

Being a state champion is much more than something you can brag about to your friends, or talk about to your children and grandchildren someday. It’s a culmination of all your hard work coming to fruition, and something to be proud of for life.

The Southeast Missouri region saw four athletes win gold at the 2021 track and field state championships, which allowed me to reflect on my past accomplishments.

During my senior year at Chaffee High School, I had the privilege of qualifying for the 2009 Class 1 track and field championships in two of the four events I ran, the 4x100 and 4x200-meter relays. Both of our relays broke 20 and 30-year old school records and received All-State honors. Our 4x200-meter relay, however, won a state championship by a wide margin.

I was not a particularly gifted athlete. Standing 5-foot, 7-inches tall and weighing roughly 195 pounds didn’t exactly help, but I played at least one season of every sport offered for boys at Chaffee.

I was average at football, good enough to become a starter my senior year. I was below-average at basketball, only truly excelling in junior varsity my sophomore year. I had quit playing baseball as a kid in elementary school, but for some reason decided to play my junior year where I had one hit and several dropped fly balls in my lone JV season. Track and field was the only sport I truly excelled in, and I didn’t even do that until my senior year.

I’ll never forget the early morning relay practices, spending an hour or more with current Cape Central athletic director Tyson Moyers ­­— who was one of Chaffee’s track coaches at the time ­­— and listening to him yell about whether our handoffs were good. On top of that, we would practice after school and get our full workout in.

I had been All-Conference my sophomore and junior seasons, but our team in 2009 was special. My relay teammates ­­— Steven Hendrix, Hunter Thomason and Collin Dannenmueller ­­– and I gelled almost perfectly, although we had the occasional mistake on handoffs.

We managed to become SEMO Conference, district, sectional and state champions in the 4x200. When our full group was available ­­— Thomason and Dannenmueller played baseball in addition to running track ­­– we only lost once all year in that race.

Although it’s been 12 years since then, and our school records were broken, I still have an overwhelming sense of pride when I think back on the 2009 Red Devils track team. We had spent the better part of six years — seventh through 12th grade ­­— preparing for that moment.

Moyers said it best after we stepped off the medal stand.

“You guys are state champions, and no matter what no one can ever take that away from you.”

Now that I’m a sports reporter for the Southeast Missourian and I see Moyers fairly regularly, it brings me joy to be able to reminisce with him about our team. It just goes to show you that a high school accomplishment can still have an impact on you for the rest of your life. We worked hard, we worked tirelessly and it paid off in the end.

From one state champion to another, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Notre Dame’s Evan Bruenderman, Caruthersville’s Brandon Fonda, Charleston’s Luke Nichols and Poplar Bluff’s Jaden Deaton on their success this season. Hold on to this moment and cherish it forever, you’ve earned that right.