Athletes of the Month

By Alexa Grubbs

Head captain of the J.W. Mitchell swim team, Antoine Fournand (‘22), started competitively swimming his sophomore year at Mitchell because he wasn’t doing any other sports and had friends already on the team.

“Swimming is so competitive yet so friendly. All the teams have the will to win, but they all support one another because we all realize how tough swimming actually is,” Fournand said.

They typically practice on Monday and Wednesday mornings and on Tuesday and Thursday after school at the JP GIlls YMCA. This year, Fournand led the boys team to win District championships on Oct. 28.

“It felt really good, I was really excited to win but also very proud of my younger teammates. And winning it as a captain really means a lot,” Fournand said.

Swimmers compete as a team and also as an individual making both teamwork and self-motivation important. Being on the team helped Fournand create strong bonds with his teammates and learn from his coach.

“I think, now since it’s the end of the season, everyone is friends and we all have a super great mood everytime we swim. I’d almost refer to our team as a family. The coaches are motivations to all swimmers, they bring us happiness and a lot of knowledge, and they are always there to push us,” Fournand said.

The swim and dive coach, Kelly Erickson, has been coaching for nearly ten years. She coached Fournand and the rest of the boys swim team to districts this year.

“In a decade of coaching, I can honestly say that Antoine is one of the hardest working swimmers with whom I’ve worked. He gives 100% at every practice and every meet. He is liked and respected by his teammates and his warm personality makes even new team members feel welcome. Antoine encourages his team and leads by example,” Erickson said.

This season concludes Fournand’s last year of high school swimming.At the moment, he still plans to continue club swimming in college. For now, he will continue competing the rest of this season.

Photo by Lily Sarakun On Sept. 8, Antoine Fournand competes in the breast stroke at the meet against Fivay High School.

Running for the Win: Senior Kayla Groppe runs to victory in cross country thanks to help from her teammates and her family

By Emma Diehl

Senior cross country star Kayla Groppe is the latest female Gregg Schindler Athlete of the Month. Groppe is one of the top cross country team members, constantly breaking records of previous students, setting her own personal records in the process. Groppe is not the first runner in her family. Both her mother and father were runners in high school.

“My parents both ran in track and cross country, so they both understand. They both push me, and they understand better than anyone else [what cross country is like],” Groppe said.

While her parents have played a part in her success, Groppe also attributed much of her success to her coaches, namely Coach Alan Parmenter, who named Groppe honorary team captain this year.

“She makes everyone around her better as she competes with herself and teammates with the understanding that the work put in at practice translates into success in competition. She has high standards and expectations for herself and that helps others to excel,” Parmenter said.

During this cross country season, Groppe has pushed herself to the limit, setting new records for herself and Mitchell.

“I took two minutes off of my personal record from last year, and I broke the record for the tenth best cross country time at Mitchell,” Groppe said.

Along with running cross country, Groppe also participates in track and field events, is a member of the Marching Mustangs, and is a dual enrollment student.

“The most important thing is time management. It’s not hard if you have everything planned out, but when you start letting go, that’s when it starts getting chaotic and stressful,” Groppe said.

The cross country team competed at districts this year, and even took a trip to Tallahassee for one of their meets this season. At their meet on Oct. 23, the girls took first place in their group, and the boys team came in second for the male division. With the team being so close, Groppe considers the athletes more than just friends.

“It’s like a family bond. It’s a whole other level of bonding. We’re so close, it’s just like a family. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my teammates and my coaches,” Groppe said.

While Groppe does plan to continue in her studies and her athletic career, she has yet to commit to a fouryear university. Congratulations to Kayla Groppe, the newest Gregg Schindler Female Athlete of the Month.

Photo by Bella Melby-Mazzei As she sprints past cheering parents, Kayla Groppe (‘22) pushes herself to the finish line at River Ridge High School on Sept. 25.