October 28, 2020

Lil’ Wolverines Running Club Provides Foundation for Future Sports
Picture ID Left to Right: Erin Head, Sophie Grace Owens, & Laine Gressett
One of the unique athletic programs at Prince Avenue Christian School is the Lil’ Wolverines Running Club, an eight-week co-ed running program for 2nd through 8th-grade students in which runners compete in distances ranging from 1.4 to 2.5 miles. The club’s season coordinates with the fall cross country season.
There are five races in a series, and runners earn points each week for entering the race and receive additional points for finishing in the top 20 of each race. This year, Prince had 23 runners with the following runners placing in the top ten in the series for their age group: Sophie Grace Owens, Laine Gressett, Erin Head, Clarke Conner, Luke Keefer, Lanie Cortez, Pace Conner, and Callan Thoms.
Prince parent Emily Hicks explains that the runners experience team and personal accomplishments as they pull for one another as well as improve their own personal times with each race. “It is a regular occurrence to see a runner who has finished his or her race return to the course to cheer on and even run alongside a teammate to get to the finish line. The support that they show and that they receive really helps them to understand what being a member of a team means.”
Prince Coach Michael Palmer started the Lil’ Wolverines Running Club six years ago with the belief that developing a strong work ethic and experiencing a team at a young age provides a foundation for growth in any sport for the future. “I tell kids and parents that ‘this is the beginning of anything you want’ because I believe it is one of the best teachers for kids. It really teaches discipline and perseverance.”