Producing Perseverance: Trials & Triumphs CORY JAMIESON
G
“Consider it pure joy... whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” James 1:2-3
RACE ATHLETICS HAS
Kregel expanded on how the abrupt
close and peaked when we needed to
CERTAINLY BEEN
finish to his basketball career helped him
at the end of the season," commented
THROWN A LOT
with his perspective.
Coach Kerri Shultz. "We were so
OF CURVEBALLS in
grateful for all the opportunities this
2020, but James 1:2-4 reminds us that
“This taught me the importance of
year. It was one special team, and I won't
significant growth and perseverance
looking back and appreciating each and
ever forget this season. I'm incredibly
follows the trials. 2020 has been a year
every moment I had at Grace – both
proud of the effort everyone put into the
far from the absence of trials, but it has
on and off the court. It showed me
team on and off the court, and it showed
also produced a multitude of triumphs.
that the memories and relationships
with the first regional banner in twenty
built at Grace will last as long as the
four years.”
THE TRIALS
championships and records. Overall, it
On March 12, 2020, the Grace women’s
but my faith and relationships will
and men’s basketball teams were
always be most important.”
helped me see that basketball is great,
anxiously awaiting their games at
THE TRIUMPHS In 2020, both the men’s and women’s basketball teams won the regional title
the NCCAA DII National Tournament
On November 7, 2020, the Grace
for the second time in school history
in Joplin, Missouri. The unfortunate
volleyball team pulled off an amazing
(2016 was the first).
news that COVID-19 would cause the
upset of the #1 seeded Johnson
tournament to come to a halt hit both
University-Tennessee Royals in Knoxville,
Austin Jackson capped off his career for
teams like a brick wall, as the women’s
Tennessee, winning the Mideast Regional
the men’s basketball team by earning
team had just recorded a big win in the
Championship. It was the team’s first
National Player of the Year honors in the
Elite Eight, securing their spot in the
regional title since 1996, and after junior
NCCAA DII.
final four, and the men’s team carried
Ashley Hoek put down the final kill in
high hopes and the #1 seed into the
the 3-1 victory, the Tigers were jubilant
The volleyball team won their first
tournament after a spectacular
as they celebrated with the banner.
regional title since 1996. The men’s
regular season.
Just a few short days later, as the team
soccer squad won their region for the
anticipated competing as the #4 seed
second year in a row, and advanced to
“When the National Tournament
at the NCCAA National Tournament in
the NCCAA DII National Tournament in
was cancelled, I was devastated,”
Greenville, South Carolina, the team’s
Kissimmee, Florida, where they finished
commented Grace senior (and now
COVID contact results forced them to
one goal away from a national title
Grace graduate) Adam Kregel. “I loved
withdraw from the tournament.
game appearance.
Grace, so it was heartbreaking to have it
"This was the last news I wanted to tell
Jennie Sue Pilieci and Dylan DeVries
end in such a surprising manner.”
this season's team, we all have gotten so
were awarded the distinction of
my teammates, coaches, and time at
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