Troy Middle School's Merritt Does Well At State Cross Country

Photo: From left, Troy Cross Country Team head coaches John Davis and Stephanie Oswald, Cross Country Team member Luke Merritt, and other coaches Heather Offerman and Devin Whitehead.

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Luke Merritt, Troy Middle School seventh-grader, placed 73rd out of 233 runners at this year’s IESA Cross Country State Meet, Class 3A, breaking his own personal record time of 11 minutes, 31 seconds.

Head coaches for Troy’s Cross Country Team are John Davis and Stephanie Oswald. Other coaches are Caitlin Dalton, Alison Radek, Heather Offerman and Devin Whitehead.

“This is Luke’s third year with us,” Davis said. “He is an example of a young man who sets a goal and then works hard to achieve it. He ended up the year as our number one runner. He kept improving each week and managed to keep away from injuries. We are really excited that he will be returning with a bunch of talented 7th graders who won their stage of the Troy invite.”

“This season’s team motto was, ‘You don't get what you wish for, you get what you work for,’ and Luke was a perfect example of these values,” Oswald said. “He is an extremely hard worker and is determined to do his absolute best at whatever he sets his mind to. Our sectional meet saw frigid temperatures and massive amounts of water on our course, but this did not stop Luke from giving it his all. He finished 13th overall with a two-mile time of 12:21. The following week, Luke poured his heart out at state and chipped off almost an entire minute from his sectional time.”

Troy Community School District Athletic Director Meagan DeGroot said Merritt is an athlete who has a lot of heart and dedication.

“When he puts his mind to it,” she said, “he does it.”