Oswego East Student Athlete of the Week-Luke Wentz

Junior Luke Wentz's feel in love with running by accident. In 6th grade, Luke thought going out for the cross country team would help get him in shape for basketball season. While he did find himself in shape for basketball, he also discovered a love for running, and his hard work and improvement are why he is this week's Oswego East student-athlete of the week.

Luke's passion for running is integrated into every part of his life. As a member of Community Christian Church, Luke spends Wednesday's and Sunday's help leading 7th-grade students in facilitating a discussion. Leading discussions has helped teach Luke about leadership. "Leading the youth group has helped me be more of a leader on the cross country team," says Luke. He goes on to add, "I'm also always aware of my actions and how they will be perceived by others now."

Luke is not tasked with leading the team on his own. Head coach James Milner says, "A great thing about this current group is that they share the responsibilities and respect one another in a way that everyone is contributing to leading." That also happens to be what Luke loves most about cross country. "The atmosphere of the cross country is really great, everyone is really supportive of one another," says Luke.

That support system has helped catapult the Wolves into a consistently top 10 ranking in the state. "Our team goal this year is to come home with a state trophy," says Luke. Their strong bond is what has made them such a special group, and will undoubtedly put them in a place to realize their goals. "They all share a common goal and are all willing to work for it," says Milner. He goes on to add, "They have a great ability to focus on the task at hand and have discovered how to balance athletics, school, and life. They are great at holding each other accountable."

To his own admission, running/school/life balance is something Luke needed to work on during his time as an underclassman. "Balancing homework with athletics is the most difficult transition between junior high and high school," says Luke. Fortunately, Luke's hard work has paid off as he carries a 3.4 G.P.A., and challenges himself with rigorous courses such as advanced placement (AP) U.S. History, Honors Spanish, and Honors Physiology and Anatomy.

This past summer, Luke had an opportunity to use his Spanish skills in practice by spending time in Guatemala with kids at a school in an indigenous community outside of San Juan Sacatapequez. "Luke was able to use his Spanish and really loved being part work that was making a real difference in the lives of families," says John. He goes on to add, "Luke grew in his awareness of global issues and sensitivity to working with people in cross-cultural situations."

Luke has always felt social sciences were his favorite area of interest, so much so that he enrolled in two social science classes last year, AP Government and Sociology. His Sociology teacher, Sarah Davies, says, "Luke is a hard-working student. He was always thorough and determined to get the job done. He was very conscientious and understood what was being discussed, and managed to hold his own as a sophomore in class with a high number of seniors.

Luke's success in running and schooling is tied deeply into his faith, so much so that he hopes to attend college and earn a degree in ministry. "My faith inspires me to race, especially for people that may not have an opportunity to do so," says Luke. His father, John Wentz, understands just how much his involvement in his community and church have done for Luke. "Luke has learned how to listen and seek understanding from those around him by leading groups at church, and has developed a high value for a compassionate community," says John.

Luke his hopeful his hard work and faith will help improve his personal best time of 15:07 down to the sub 14:50 mark. He is kept active and working to improve by his teammates, saying, "I know my teammates are working just as hard as me, so I always have to do my best," says Luke.

As a close-knit, hard-working team that has only one senior on it, the Wolves are hoping for a state trophy this year and a possible run at a national ranking next. However, there is much work left to be done to accomplish their goals. For any future Wolves, Luke advises they, "come in ready to work hard because nothing will be easy." This group of runners and Luke understand just that and are more than willing to sacrifice and put in the work necessary to make their dreams a reality.