Pomp and (unusual) circumstance
Region’s senior class celebrates victories and realizes what was lost
Lowell senior Gabriel Sanchez described his state championship in cross country last fall as “the gift that keeps on giving.”
The Indiana recruit surveys his room and appreciates the plaques, trophies, certificates, banners and assorted other awards he’s collected.
“I didn’t have that last year,” Sanchez said with a laugh, referring to his runner-up finish during the 2018 season. “I keep getting reminders it all happened and how awesome that day was.”
The most recent arrived just two weeks ago — a sign of the times.
He received an award from the state coaches association, which named him Mr. Cross Country. It was supposed to happen at the indoor track state meet, which was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Usually it’s a big presentation,” Sanchez said. “It would’ve been cool to be crowned in front of everyone.”
Sanchez is part of a 2020 class that has endured the challenges of e-learning, the cancellations of proms, and the advent of virtual graduations and limited-capacity ceremonies delayed until July.
He also is part of a generation of student-athletes whose sports careers have been thrown for a loop with the cancellation of winter state tournaments and entire spring seasons, never mind the coming summer and fall.
But many Region seniors, like Sanchez, leave high school with sweet memories along with the bitter.
Lake Central’s boys soccer team played for the Class 3A state championship, losing 3-1 to Zionsville.
Munster senior Kathir Venkat and doubles partner Charlie Morton reached the state final, where they lost to a duo from Carmel, and they led the Mustangs to the state
quarterfinals.
Boone Grove’s girls soccer team and the Crown Point and Morgan Township girls volleyball teams made runs to semistates.
In football, Andrean, Hobart, Merrillville and Valparaiso all made it to semistate games, and the Vikings went a step further, losing 27-20 to New Palestine in the Class 5A state final.
Chesterton senior swimmer Andrew Alders won the state title in the 100yard breaststroke.
South Central’s girls basketball team lost 62-61 to Frankton in a Class 2A semistate.
And Chesterton’s gymnastics team won its third straight state title — in an empty gym at Ball State’s Worthen Arena on March 14, the weekend the sports world stood still.
So boys basketball teams from 21st Century, Bowman, Hammond, Hanover Central, Merrillville and Valparaiso never got their shot.
Sanchez has been apt to reminisce about his championship.
“I certainly have a lot of pictures, and any time I see them, I can almost relive the feeling,” he said. “The first time I saw my coach after the race, I hugged him, and maybe he was tearing up. Maybe I was getting choked up too. We were training so hard for that, to be on top of the podium, with the blue medal around my neck.”
Sanchez wanted to add more hardware in the spring. He set his sights on the school record in the mile. He had visions of setting the state record in the 800 meters. He placed second in that race in 1:51.73 last year; the record is 1:49.25.
“We really started talking about some big goals, and we didn’t get to execute them,” Sanchez said. “I feel I’m all right at cross country, but I’m better at track. So two seconds from the state record, not getting the opportunity, is my biggest upset.”
Sanchez, a former soccer player, has continued to train, preparing for college and perhaps a prestigious meet. He hopes to get the chance to compete at the New Balance Nationals in North Carolina, which was postponed from mid-June until mid-July tentatively.
“There have been a lot of missed opportunities,” Sanchez said. “But I’m trying to be optimistic. I’m a big believer in things happening for a reason. I’m just so blessed to have realized running is my thing.”
Valparaiso senior wide receiver Luke Patterson recalled the bonds the Vikings formed through winter and summer workouts before last season. He also noted how no one sat out conditioning runs — the “winners” of drills voluntarily joined the “losers.”
“It showed everyone was all in and willing to do anything possible to win,” Patterson said. “I couldn’t have asked for better teammates, coaches, managers or athletic trainers — my family.”
Alders won his state title in his first season swimming the breaststroke full time. The Purdue recruit edged Munster senior Kyle Adams, an Iowa recruit who was the champion last year.
“Winning that was an unreal feeling,” Alders said. “Looking up at the board and seeing the ‘1’ next to my name and seeing my family and teammates cheering, those are memories that will last a lifetime.
“I’m so thankful for the support of my family, teammates and coaches, and I’m just happy we were able to finish the season before everything happened.”
Alders hasn’t been in the pool since mid-March. He swam in a chilly Lake Michigan a handful of times.
He’s tried to process the past two-plus months.
“It’s, like, ‘Wow, this is really how high school is ending,’ ” Alders said. “There’s a sense you might want to be done and whatnot. Then it’s taken away, and it’s kind of eye-opening. You miss it.”