Oct 14-27, 2013www.lcc.edu/lookout

SPORTS7

AthleteSpotlight

The Lookout Sports Editor Richard Schenck recently had a chance to speak to sophomore cross country runner Jessica D’Haene. The DeWitt native was part of the 2012 All Region XII Team, All MCCAA Team, and MCCAA All Freshman Team.

Q. Do you see yourself running in the future at a university?A.“I am actually talking to a couple of coaches and exploring my options. I would like to

keep running, it is really helpful and keeps me focused. I am looking at Oakland (University), Saginaw Valley, and Ferris State.”Q.What skills did your previous

coaches give you moving forward?A.“The one thing that my coach always stressed in high school was building close relationships with the team. Being supportive

of each other and carrying that support with me was always big. It has always motivated me as a runner.”Q.What school is high on your transfer list?A. Oakland University.

Jessica D’Haene

Bright lights and roar-ing crowds are every col-lege athlete’s dream, along with gleaming locker rooms, corporate-spon-sored everything and tele-vision coverage.

But some athletes don’t get to see their best perfor-mances on ESPN behind the voice of Stuart Scott. In today’s world, expanding the brand has surpassed the true purpose of being a student/athlete.

Everywhere you turn there is a new story about players being bribed with

money, cars and, in some cases, even sex.

Division I coaches are hired to teach these young men and women the val-ues that you need to not only be a better athlete, but a better person in the world after college.

There is a big difference between big-time college coaches and community college coaches. Now I’m not bashing ALL major college coaches because there are men and women who truly put in the effort to make their student/ath-

letes better people.The coaches here at

LCC, without a doubt, have the right priorities set out front of the Stars athletes. Few, if any, of these athletes will ever be featured in a Sportscenter Top-10 ranking for tal-lying a triple-double or crossing the finish line to win a national champion-ship.

Coaches at LCC put a great deal of emphasis on academics because those are the skills these young men and women will rely

on for their future. That is what sets com-

munity college coaches, as a whole, apart from all the major schools: hav-ing the opportunity to be

involved with the sport they love and having the resources to get help when they need it.

Student athletes are given a path in which to become very successful in Lansing as well as to wher-ever they may end up down the road. LCC has a great deal to be proud of in regards to being an in-stitution that has a strong reputation for academics and athletics.

Every athlete who puts on that blue and white knows what it took to get

here and where it can take them.

Athletic Director Greg Mallek and his staff, coaches and athletes have a duty to preserve the reputation of LCC and to leave it better than before they arrived.

All past and present people involved with LCC athletics should carry the pride of making this a place where students want to incubate their academic goals and athletic desires.

Once a Star, always a Star.

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LCC athletics has strong reputation— Laces Out —

Q. What made you want to run cross country?A.“I wasn’t really good at

anything else and I tried running and I fell in love with it. It just stuck with me since junior high.

Photo by Suzanna Powers