This cross country season has been full of challenges, memorable moments and a lot of fun. Grove High School’s Caleb McAbee said this season has been amazing.
“My cross country season has gone so much better than I could ever imagine. If I could tell my old self how fast I run, he wouldn’t believe me. My times have drastically decreased, as I understand my body more,” said McAbee. “My highlight was during conference, I achieved my goal of beating both of my brother’s high school records, running a 17:35 minute 5k. I started running at a 19:50 5k and over these past few months have been rapidly improving myself so that I could beat my brothers.”
McAbee said he loves being around his teammates at GHS.
“I love how everyone on the team wants to see you succeed. We are mostly Christian and use our faith to strengthen us. The people who aren’t Christian are polite enough to pray alongside us, which proves their own type of maturity. We always support each other, and I can run good because I don’t want to let them or God down,” McAbee said.
McAbee finds his siblings as a source of inspiration.
“My biggest inspirations are my brothers, who are my predecessors in everything I do. They create almost unachievable goals for me to reach, but they also help me reach those goals, shaping me to be the best I can be. I don’t want to imagine where I would be without them both,” McAbee said.
Also serving as the vice President of the newly established Grove Volleyball Club, McAbee and other students teach newer players how to play and scrimmage with them.
“I am mainly devoted to soccer as it is still my main sport, I love playing soccer and improving my in-game chemistry alongside some of my closest friends,” McAbee said.
Like many of his peers, McAbee has developed his own favorites around campus.
“My favorite subject in school is math and my favorite teacher is Mrs. Johnson, my math teacher. Although math can be overly complicated at times, I love how there is one correct answer and a formula for getting it,” said McAbee. “Mrs. Johnson does a great job of explaining complex math in a simple way and she goes to all my soccer games because her kid plays on the team with me.”
McAbee offers this advice to anyone interested in getting involved in cross country.
“My advice to anyone interested in cross country is to just do it. Like me, you will improve so much that if you went back to tell your old self what you’ve accomplished, they won’t believe you. You will never know until you try,” said McAbee. “There’s no reason to be nervous, practice will perfectly prepare you for your meets, and you’ll see the growth and culmination of your effort and time. It’s a beautiful feeling to finish a race and see the physical improvement of yourself by looking at your time.”
After graduation, McAbee plans to join the Oklahoma National Guard and continue his education in college.
“I plan on joining the National Guard and go to RSU for their GOLD program. This is an amazing opportunity for me to get outside my comfort zone and really grow. I am undecided right now but, I will probably major in applied technology,” McAbee said.
