The process involved me emailing applications to all StanCo coaches in February. I also posted the info on FB and IG. I had 13 individuals request applications from me directly. I posted reminders several times. The applications were due April 17th. I had six runners apply.
First I want to say that I know all of the applicants by name. A few I have had extensive conversations with. I have watched the grow and mature for the past four years. BUT I tried to judge them based on what they turned into me on paper. All the applicants were given the scoring rubric in their packets. Once I received the 6 applications I read through them without formally scoring them. I let them settle in my brain. I reread them two days later and scored them. When factoring in the application, GPA, community service, coach's letter of recommendation, and essay, clearly four were better than the other two. Two days later I reread those top four essays again and narrowed it down to the three winners.
Why am I explaining this in such detail...because, unfortunately, I have had individuals question the integrity of the process in the past. There is money, pride, prestige involved for these young deserving runners. I do indeed take my selections very seriously.
Although the essay portion is only one piece of the scoring/selecting process it may be the most telling part of how running has impacted the lives of these individuals. Given that, I am sharing a piece of each essay so my readers may get the flavor of each runner's personal experience. One last note to remember is that all of these runners survived and thrived through the nearly one year absence of track/XC due to COVID. That was a reoccurring theme in many of the essays. They are all deserving, and I wish I had the funding to award them all a scholarship. I have typed these excerpts as they were written. Some are deeply personal. Enjoy
TAYLOR GRAY (Orestimba) 3.49 GPA heading to BYU-Idaho, majoring in Kinesiology
"... I complain about running a lot, but I really actually enjoy it. The feeling of going on a long run and then finishing is the best feeling ever. I am also pretty good at running which makes it even better...
...Cross Country is actually the most fun and enjoyable sport I've ever played. It isn't just running. torture, and wanting to do most of the time. I get to meet new people, create new memories, and my teammates are super fun and nice to be around. ..
...Every time I run I just try to do better than the last time I ran. Sometimes I do better, and other times I pass out or have asthma attacks which really suck. Even through the health problems I wouldn't trade my Cross Country season for anything. I have enjoyed my four years on the team..."
"...For a time this was all I had. Running was the one thing I could look at myself and be proud of myself in. I didn't have much confidence in anything else. When people weren't saying something about my running ability it was about my weight, my "noodle arms" , my hair, glasses. It was hard for me to not feel ashamed of who I was at the time but the one thing keeping me going was running. ...
...But last year after I got injured and was forced to sit out the rest of the season and possibly sacrifice my XC season I realized something. That I got this far in my running career not because of my natural ability, but because it was something that I wanted to make happen, and I had faith in myself that I could. With this epiphany, I started to turn my life around by working on things that I thought needed improvement in myself.
This is what distance running gave me. The ability to work towards my goals even if they may take a long time to get there."
JULIA ZENSIUS (Central Catholic) 4.57 GPA heading to Villanova, majoring in Chemical Engineering
"Running has given me a community that is unique, supportive, and loving. I was first acquainted with this sense of support when I joined my high school cross country team. I was introduced to a group of misfits; a few people wanted to run competitively while others wanted to get conditioned for other sports or were cut from more popular fall sports. I have bonded with this assortment of people by suffering through hard workouts and celebrating personal records. After each race and practice, my coaches recognize our growth as both a team and as athletes...
The people I have encountered as a result of my participation in distance running have helped me grow into who I am today-an encouraging, persistent, and hardworking individual."
AND THE THREE WINNERS OF THE 2023 STANCO DISTANCE SCHOLARSHIPS ARE:
"...To this day, several years later, I still find myself constantly wondering who I would be without running since I have built so much mental strength through the sport.
During my regular runs, I find the world at peace. It is Heaven on Earth for me. Most of my runs are spent listening to the sound of my light footsteps over cracking branches, my small breaths, and the occasional cars driving past-chaos, here, is non-existent. Whatever I may have spent overthinking about is removed, my stress has faded away, and it is just me alone with the control over the pace of my steps, and my life.
Distance running blessed me with an incomparable support system, too. ...The team-this family-have given me the faith I often lack in myself. I know I would not be the person nor runner I am today without them. ...
My running experience has taught me that these tough experiences can be frustrating at times, but they have and will pay off. Life's surmountable with the right support, enthusiasm, and effort."
"... I realized this during my third league meet for Track when I did not get the time I wanted and instead of thinking it was an off-race, I immediately went to critiquing my race. I found all the negative things I did instead of figuring out solutions. I sat there blaming myself. The next race was different. I chose to come in with a better mindset and a determination to PR. I ended up getting a PR in that race. Since then, I have learned to have a positive mindset and understand that every race will not be perfect. ...This idea has not only impacted sports but school as well. This year alone, I have seen the impact this can have on me especially since I care a lot about how I am doing in school. This has also allowed me to open up more than I ever had with my friends on the team and has made all our friendships stronger and our seasons a lot more fun."
KENDALL LIMA (Turlock) 4.619 GPA heading to UC Berkeley, majoring in Statistics
"...After competing at the XC section meet my junior year, I was devastated when I sustained an injury to my hip. Although I was a Track Captain that year, I sadly contributed very few points to my teams' success. I saw myself quickly slipping further away from the top. I was devastated, but something inside of me changed. The epiphany that eventually came was that the accomplishments I wanted weren't truly the accomplishments I needed, and perhaps that's why I was so unfulfilled.
I couldn't be the runner I wanted to be, so I began to focus on being the best captain I could. I encouraged my teammates through tough practices, even when I had to sit out. I coached from the track during races, helping with form, technique, breathing, and overall motivation. I worked through my injury, exemplifying that you should never give up. The high fives, hugs, and thanks I received from my team shot me straight to the top of the highest mountain peak. ...Through my experience with distance running I have learned that sometimes, while playing the game of life, you my run to the top of a great mountain, only to find that you should have been running somewhere completely different. Setbacks happen, and perhaps sometimes they are for the best. I think the moral of the story however is just keep running."
If you read this far you are truly dedicated to local distance running. I am willing to pony up the money for one scholarship each year. If any of you would like to donate for next year's scholarship (beyond the first one) please contact me 209-404-1683 or screaminscott64@yahoo.com, thank you
What a great selection of students you chose for your scholarships. I am so proud to call you my son.
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