Eagles cross country program soaring

This has been a fall sports season of firsts at Grain Valley High School.

Coach Keri Peterson’s volleyball team won the school’s first conference championship.

Forrest Rovello’s Eagles football team downed Hickman Mills to claim its first Class 4 postseason victory.

And in just its third year of existence, coach Mike Painting’s boys cross country squad went to state as a team.

Sam Jonesi, Brandon Riggs, Tyler Ishmael, Brandon Schrader, Matt Tecce, Josh Amos and Tyree Meadows accomplished that feat and made quite an impact on the fans in their first-ever state competition.

“For 21⁄2 miles, it looked like Tyree was going to be an all-state runner as he was in 21st place,” Painting said. “Then, well, he got this glazed look in his eyes and we weren’t sure if he was going to finish the race.”

Meadows, a personable junior who Painting calls “one of my best recruiters,” not only finished the race – he won something that is more meaningful and lasting then a piece of medal attached to a ribbon.

“Let me tell you something about Tyree,” Painting said, with a touch of pride in his voice. “We didn’t know if he would finish. But then, we realized, there was no way he wasn’t going to finish that race.

“He literally collapsed with 100 meters to go. That’s when about 200 or 300 fans started clapping and encouraging him. They were urging him onto the finish line. Sure, we all wanted him to be an all-state performer – but finishing the race at that point, was what was important to Tyree.”

The young man crawled, stumbled and managed to pull himself across the finish line, while countless other racers collapsed and had to be helped off the Jefferson City course.

“It was my race to go out and get that all-state finish,” said Meadows, who finished 158th out of 159 runners, “but something happened at about 21⁄2 miles. I saw kids passing out – a lot of them. It was hot that day, and I don’t think any of us expected it because it had been either nice weather or pretty cold in previous meets.

“After about 21⁄2 miles, my legs started to hurt and I was getting dizzy and I actually fell down on the course. My coach was there, and the fans were there, and everyone was yelling for me, supporting me, trying to help me get back up.

“I wasn’t going to let my coach down. Or my teammates down. I crawled for a ways and then, I still don’t really know how I did it, but I crossed the finish line.”

That type of drive, determination and pure guys is the mark of Painting’s squad that he believes will continue to grow and get better in future seasons.

“We’ve established the foundation this year with this team going to state,” Painting said. “I’m so proud of this team. Tyree wasn’t a cross country runner until he joined the team. None of the kids were distance runners, yet look at them now.

“They can say they were part of the first boys cross country from their high school to go to state. And you can just look at them and tell that they take a lot of pride in that.”

While the boys went as a team, sophomore Myranda Coons represented the girls at state and finished a respectable 71st out of 161 runners.

“She’s someone we recruited from track, and she’s a varsity cheerleader, so we had to work around that schedule,” Painting said, “and it worked out just fine. We took some other girls on the team so they could experience state. Unless you go and see what it’s all about, it can be overwhelming.

“One of the young girls on the team told me that state inspired her, and that she’s going to work even harder so she can go to state as a competitor next year.”

Painting paused for a moment, and added, “I wish we could start next season today. We’re all pretty fired up about it.”

When asked about his coach and his cross country teammates, Meadows offered an explanation that came straight from the heart.

“The runners on the team are my family,” Meadows said, “and coach has made me a better runner and a better person. This is a sport that you get from it, what you put into it. On the long runs, we bond as a team and as a family. Coach is out there running with us, and that means a lot to me and the other runners. It was a great, great season  and we can’t wait for next year.”