Raritan... Southern Freshman, Theresa Brokaw starts each day like everyone else, by putting one foot in front of the other.
The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
by David Grimes, Quill Correspondent
Raritan... Southern Freshman, Theresa Brokaw starts each day like everyone else, by putting one foot in front of the other.
She just does it a little faster than most people. Brokaw's high school track coach, Jenny Ford, says that's not surprising.
"I coached her in fifth-grade track, too, and even then you could see that this girl is going somewhere," Ford said.
"Because she was in her first year of high school, we never focused on what place she would finish in or whether she'd get a medal. We knew she had great potential and would be doing that anyway. so instead, we emphasized that she have fun and work on her personal best.
"Then we enjoyed celebrating together each time she did achieve a goal or win a medal."
In her first year of high school, Brokaw has broken no records but did garner second place in the two-mile with a time of 11:20 and third place in the one mile with an impressive 5:18 in state competition in May at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.
But she did even better the following week at a meet that drew student athletes from 70 schools from around the state of Illinois.
"I improved my time on the mile at the Honor Roll Meet in Peoria after state, though," she says, almost apologetically. "I ran it there in 5:15."
Brokaw occasionally runs an 800-meter (half mile) race, but has a real passion for the longer routes, much like her dad, Pat Brokaw, who earned respect as a long-distance runner in his own right on the Southern track team in the early 1970s.
He establishes the training plan Theresa follows, but she structures the scheduling around her day.
"I run about an hour a day," she said, "and take a day off every two to three weeks.
"He's a good coach. He's the primary reason I run and we try to keep it fun."
Brokaw stays busy with other activities than track. Coached by her dad, she runs as Southern's sole representative at cross country meets, plays basketball, is a member of Southern's Scholastic Bowl team, shows sheep as a 4-H project, plays piano, gives of her time as a volunteer at a local animal shelter, serves as vice president of Southern's student FFA chapter and sings in the choir at her church, St. Patrick's
Brokaw will take part in a basketball camp this summer, but confides her heart is elsewhere.
"I'd rather be running," she said. "It's relaxing and since we live in the country, I can run whenever I want. It's a good way to clear my mind and focus on my goals."
Running track events as one of only six team members and as an individual competitor at cross country meets could be a lonely experience.
Brokaw hasn't found that to be the case, though, and has formed friendships with a number of other women athletes, including Roseville's Pam Wolf.
"Girls from other teams have offered a lot of support and that helps when you're in your first year," she said.
Despite a bout with anemia earlier this year, Brokaw insists she enjoys a higher level of good health than if she did not maintain her physically active lifestyle.
Her goals are uncomplicated.
"I work at keeping my times down, staying injury free and continually improving my overall performance," she said.
She hopes staying focused on those areas will pay off in future academic achievement as well.
"I'd love to run in college, at one of the bigger universities and get a scholarship," she said.
Ford believes Brokaw is capable of meeting that challenge, too.
"She grew up on the farm as a member of a hard-working family where she learned the value of being goal-oriented," she said. "Theresa is mature, disciplined and listens well. She's very coachable. She'll achieve her goals."