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Blue Springs, MO —
At this point, there aren’t many postseason awards that Blue Springs senior Simon Belete hasn’t won.
Belete finished his senior campaign as the Class 4 state cross country champion and was named The Examiner’s Runner of the Year after his all-state season, in which he won six of his eight races. Belete has added even more hardware to his impressive collection as he was named the Missouri Gatorade Runner of the Year.
Although it might seem like Belete’s status as the state’s top runner was already cemented, he said this award finally confirms his place as top dog.
After the high school season, Belete ran in two high-profile postseason races, and while he turned in impressive efforts, they weren’t quite in line with his prestigious standard. At the Nike Cross National Regional in Terre Haute, Ind., Belete finished 44th after tripping late in the race. And at the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships Midwest Regional in Kenosha, Wis., he had hoped for a top-10 tally but finished 15th.
Belete worried those performances would cost him the Gatorade award, but in the end his overall resume was strong enough to endure a couple subpar outings.
“It was an exciting thing to get,” said Belete, who posted an average time of 15 minutes, 42 seconds during the high school season. “I was talking to (Blue Springs coach Frank Gallick), and it really depended on how they value those two (postseason) races. But it all depends on who had the better overall season, and I was ecstatic to see I came out on top.”
So now Belete can kick his feet up and enjoy the spoils of all his hard work, right? Well, that’s not how he sees it. Considering the track and field season is less than two months away – another sport in which Belete stars – he says he feels like this puts an additional chip on his shoulder to prove himself deserving of all these accolades.
“I feel any award I get I have to prove I deserve that award,” Belete said. “For track, this is my last chance to prove that and hopefully I can have a great year.”
For Gallick, this award – and Belete’s entire career – is about much more than deserved recognition. It’s an affirmation that the grueling work he encourages his runners to put in has its rewards in the end.
“Coaches point at how great a season Simon had and tell everybody Simon’s so talented,” Gallick said. “But the thing is, Simon knew he had to work at it and put in the time and effort. And he benefited from that work. As a coach, that’s a great thing to be able to point to and tell other kids that you could do that too if you just work at it.
At this point, there aren’t many postseason awards that Blue Springs senior Simon Belete hasn’t won.
Belete finished his senior campaign as the Class 4 state cross country champion and was named The Examiner’s Runner of the Year after his all-state season, in which he won six of his eight races. Belete has added even more hardware to his impressive collection as he was named the Missouri Gatorade Runner of the Year.
Although it might seem like Belete’s status as the state’s top runner was already cemented, he said this award finally confirms his place as top dog.
After the high school season, Belete ran in two high-profile postseason races, and while he turned in impressive efforts, they weren’t quite in line with his prestigious standard. At the Nike Cross National Regional in Terre Haute, Ind., Belete finished 44th after tripping late in the race. And at the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships Midwest Regional in Kenosha, Wis., he had hoped for a top-10 tally but finished 15th.
Belete worried those performances would cost him the Gatorade award, but in the end his overall resume was strong enough to endure a couple subpar outings.
“It was an exciting thing to get,” said Belete, who posted an average time of 15 minutes, 42 seconds during the high school season. “I was talking to (Blue Springs coach Frank Gallick), and it really depended on how they value those two (postseason) races. But it all depends on who had the better overall season, and I was ecstatic to see I came out on top.”
So now Belete can kick his feet up and enjoy the spoils of all his hard work, right? Well, that’s not how he sees it. Considering the track and field season is less than two months away – another sport in which Belete stars – he says he feels like this puts an additional chip on his shoulder to prove himself deserving of all these accolades.
“I feel any award I get I have to prove I deserve that award,” Belete said. “For track, this is my last chance to prove that and hopefully I can have a great year.”
For Gallick, this award – and Belete’s entire career – is about much more than deserved recognition. It’s an affirmation that the grueling work he encourages his runners to put in has its rewards in the end.
“Coaches point at how great a season Simon had and tell everybody Simon’s so talented,” Gallick said. “But the thing is, Simon knew he had to work at it and put in the time and effort. And he benefited from that work. As a coach, that’s a great thing to be able to point to and tell other kids that you could do that too if you just work at it.
