This award is given to a girl that the captains deem “tough” for one reason or another.  Many times, it is given to a girl who might have fallen during a race and still finished despite cuts and bruises.  It’s been given to girls who’ve gotten stung by bees during races, etc.  It’s a special award to get because the girl’s strength is highlighted and recognized by the team, which is really important since it’s pretty easy to get lost in the shuffle with a team of our size.  Each year we start off with an old trophy and the captains put nails all over it and we give it to the first girl.  Each time we give it to a runner, we ask them to add a little something on to the trophy that signified the obstacle they encounter, or a symbol that means a lot to them.  When they return it to us before we hand it out after the next race, we ask them to explain what they’ve added and what it means to them.  At the end of the year, we’ve got a pretty colorful trophy and the team votes for one of the recipients to keep the Tough As Nails Trophy, pretty much saying that that person is the “toughest”.

TOUGH AS NAILS

3-MILE TIME TRIAL:              Anna Fedoronko

TROY/ATHENS +                 

SOUTH LYON:                       Emily Diehl   

END OF SUMMER:               Sarah Elliott

EARLY BIRD + BATH +

WOODHAVEN:                   Sarah Miller

JAMBOREE I:                       Alyssa Soltis

MSU + NEW BOSTON:        Aviva Shwayder

JACKSON + 

MONROE JEFFERSON:      Lauren Hogikyan  

JAMBOREE II:                     Jamie Rudisill

LEGENDS:                             Taylor Day

PORTAGE:                         Gloria Park

The Amy shirt started off as the Amy Shirt in 1999.  Amy Hatfield was a captain on the team at that time, and Coach Smith really thought she embodied what it meant to be a good captain, teammate, runner, etc.  He asked her to find a shirt that meant a lot to her that he could use the following year for the award.  So, each year the shirt is given out to runners who possess certain qualities that are valued on the team.  These can be great leadership, passion, compassion, heart, perseverance, etc.  So, after each race the senior who is in charge of the “shirt”, awards it to a girl who exemplifies a certain quality that is admirable.  They are asked to write their name somewhere on the shirt, and at the end of the year, everyone votes for the person whom they think is the most admirable…and that person keeps the shirt, and are asked to find a shirt that means something to them, for the next year’s team to use as their “shirt”.  For example, if Jane Doe was chosen as the runner who should keep the shirt, next year’s team “shirt” would be called the “Jane Shirt”.  Amy Morrow was the senior to who last year’s team awarded the shirt.

THE AMY SHIRT

3-MILE TIME TRIAL:              Abbey Sovitch

TROY/ATHENS +                 

SOUTH LYON:                       Sam Szuminski        

END OF SUMMER:               Devan Wetzel

EARLY BIRD + BATH +

WOODHAVEN:                   Emily Reyst

JAMBOREE I:                       Erin Fitch

MSU + NEW BOSTON:        Payton Cooper

JACKSON + 

MONROE JEFFERSON:      Chandani Wiersba           

JAMBOREE II:                      Lindsay Walter

LEGENDS:                             Natalie Zimmerman

PORTAGE:                         ------------------------

PR AWARD

3-MILE TIME TRIAL:              Amy Frauhammer

TROY/ATHENS +                 

SOUTH LYON:                       Kelly Hall       

END OF SUMMER:               Karissa Renberg

EARLY BIRD + BATH +

WOODHAVEN:                   Cassie Mullenix

JAMBOREE I:                       Bethany Louria

MSU + NEW BOSTON:        Meredith Mack

JACKSON + 

MONROE JEFFERSON:      Elizabeth Caswell  

JAMBOREE II:                      Emily Kelley

LEGENDS:                            Megan Green

PORTAGE:                         Kaileigh Keller