Toiling in Successful Anonymity

When looking at high school sports results in the sports section, BA Blogger noticed that BA's own Kelsey Hojan-Clark is currently the fastest 500 yard swimmer in the state. At sectionals she beat everyone in Division II by well over 20 seconds. Teammate Grace Paquelet will be joining Kelsey at the state swim meet. Who needs Michael Phelps and Dara Torres when we have Kelsey Hojan-Clark and Grace Paquelet? They are part of a very successful swim team, yet they and their swim team teammates fly (swim?) under the athletic radar screen.

The BA Cross Country team recently competed at the state tournament for the eighth straight year. The cc team has won eight conference titles in nine years and six sectional titles since 2001! This is an astounding record of success and one that is unmatched in BA athletic history. (Except by the equally successful BA track team). Yet their exploits are relatively underreported.

While it is a fact that football and basketball are the most "public" of high school sports, BA Blogger wants to celebrate the efforts and recognize the dedication of student-athletes who compete with little or no fanfare for the good of Brookfield Academy. Removed from the glare of the bright lights, these athletes are in the pool at 6:00 AM or train in relative isolation on the back hills of running courses. When it comes time to compete against other schools, they are surrounded by teammates, family and some students, but the simple reality is that big crowds are not the source of their motivation nor is the adulation of publicity. Yet they have wracked up an impressive litany of accomplishments.

While it is impossible to alter patterns of popularity, BA Blogger salutes BA's cross country and swim teams. Selfless in their efforts and reaching unheard of levels of success, these two teams quietly represent the best in BA athletics.