ARTICLE:
Rival athletes unite to cheer lone high jumper in Delhi meet
BY JON SWISHER - SPORTS DIRECTOR:
The 7th and 8th grade co-ed Track and Field meet hosted by Maquoketa Valley in Delhi last night featured an important reminder for all of us - it's a good thing to root for others hoping they succeed even if they aren't on your team.
In a message posted on the Maquoketa Valley Schools Facebook page with a video of the interaction, MV Activities Director Scot Moenck described the event from his point of view:
Tonight was everything sports should be about. Finn Dougherty in the high jump gave us a moment we won't forget. But what made it truly special wasn't just the height he cleared-it was the people around him. Athletes from other schools came together, cheering him on, celebrating every attempt, and lifting him up with genuine excitement.
No jerseys. No rivalries. Just respect, encouragement, and shared joy.
That's sportsmanship at its finest. That's the lesson that lasts. Proud of Finn for his effort and composure-and just as proud of every athlete who chose to support, celebrate, and make the moment bigger than themselves. This is what it's all about.
Dougherty was the last competitor in the high jump trying achieve a personal best when some of his teammates and MV girls gathered around to watch and cheer for their friend. That grew to a host of other athletes from a number of the schools participating in the meet to do the same.
Maquoketa Valley Boys Middle School head coach and longtime teacher Steve Huegel shared his thoughts with me via text. "It was just fun to see kids being cool to each other, great to see so many athletes from all the different schools supporting one another." Huegel went on to say - "That is one of the reasons track and field is so special, I can't think of another sport where you get that type of environment and interaction amongst competitors from opposing teams." Huegel added that Finn is the ultimate competitor and does it all with a smile but as good of an athlete as he is, he is a better teammate and as the video and pictures showed from last night he was rewarded for his efforts by all the other teammate first minded young people no matter what colors they were wearing.
