It was a bittersweet day for Elizabethton senior Heather Feuchtenberger as she made her final appearance in the state meet Thursday in Murfreesboro.
“I met a lot of people over the year’s here,” said Feuchtenberger. “I got to know more and more people each year. It was really nice to come together and see everybody. I have one other meet after this, but other than that this is it for me. It has been a good season.”
Competing in the Class A-AA Girls’ 800-meter Race, Feuchtenberger ran to her second straight third-place finish in the event with a time of 2:19. The senior Cyclone came in behind CAK’s Rebecca Story in first and Dresden’s Loral Winn in second, making it a repeat of last year’s results. Feuchtenberger said she was a little disappointed and happy with her finish.
“I don’t want to say it stinks because it is a great opportunity to be here,” she said. “You know, it just feels weird to be in the same exact spot I was in last year. But I am happy with it. I am grateful to be here, and it was really fun.”
Watching Feuchtenberger from the sidelines Thursday was EHS head track and field coach Leslee Bradley. Bradley only had one word to describe watching Feuchtenberger wrap up her last trip to the ‘Boro—”sad.”
“Heather has just worked so hard and has to overcome adversity,” said Bradley. “She has had the talent. To figure out how to use that talent and to get through the adversity that she had to get through, she has definitely shown everybody in our program how to stick to it and perseverance. Those are traits and qualities that as coaches you want your athletes to have. But they are hard traits to teach, so when they get to see their fellow teammate with those attributes, it makes it easier for them to learn them. Heather has meant that to our program.”
Next year, Feuchtenberger will be competing for the East Tennessee State University track and field team, something of which she is very excited about.