Longtime Carthage
track and field coach Ed Streich started the tradition of
renaming the 1,600-meter run the 'Erick's Mile' after the late
Erick Grove.
He was a standout
runner for the Tigers that graduated in 1990 and went on to run at
Division I Southeast Missouri State before dying in an accident in
1991.
During the meet this
year the public address announcer read a script about the importance
of the mile and the impact Grove had on the Tigers' track and field
and cross country programs.
He earned all-state
honors in both sports and still to this day holds the school record
in the 1,600-meter at 4:17.18 in the district meet his senior year.
He beat a runner
from West Plains he hadn't beat all year and that helped propel
Carthage to its first district crown in Class 4A. His late sprint
took a lot out of him and he placed fifth in his best event - the
3,200 - and missed a trip to state. He would go to the state meet
in Jefferson City and earn all-state medals in 1,600 and 4x800-meter
relay.
This year's winner
of the race was Neosho's Kaden Cole, who finished in 4:24.27,
making a late pass down the stretch to beat Joplin's Hobbs
Campbell.
With about 150
meters left, the senior took off and surged into first place and won
by 2 ½ seconds.
"It's amazing,"
Cole said of the win. "I've been chasing it since high school,
knowing it was a big thing at this meet. It definitely feels good to
get it secured."
Later in the meet,
Erick's parents, Rick and Donna, showed up and presented Cole with
the plaque honoring their late son.
This time, though,
the Groves got something back from the winner. Cole handed them two
photos.
Rick Grove could be
heard saying 'where did you get these?"
The two photos were
of Erick Grove running in a meet more than 30 years ago against
Dennis Cole from Neosho. Kaden's dad ran for Hall of Fame coach
Harry Lineberry from 1986 to 1989 and ran in the same conference as
Erick Grove.
Kaden was going to
give the Groves the photos regardless of the outcome of the race, but
the win made it 'pretty cool' to do so in that circumstance.
"It meant a lot to
me for him to win that race," Dennis Cole said. "Erick was a
fierce competitor and just running against him in my high school days
was a great honor and it also solidified him as one of the area's
better runners. The company of runners that have won that award are
some of the very best.
"I still remember
how much competitiveness he (Erick) had. He had no quit in him, he
had talent and he had guts. That makes for a tough runner and one
that is hard to beat."
