800 meters.
Eight hundred meters is all Jefferson High senior Renae Parker had left in the 2021 Class B girls cross-country state meet when she suffered a stress fracture in the second metatarsal bone of her right foot.
Despite the injury, Parker held on for second place. But she already set her sights on first, and she had one more chance – her senior season – to claim the title.
Parker opened the 2022 cross country season with a personal best run of 18:58 at the JHS season opener, 34.6 seconds faster than her state run. But even that isn’t good enough for Parker, who had set a season goal of breaking 18 minutes.
A stress fracture in her fibula, and an apparent stress fracture in her tibia, has since grounded Parker from participating this season.
Jefferson High cross country coach Karson Klass recognized that Parker’s competitive nature made it difficult for her to attend meets but not race in them. “I let her have some space, but there were times I was like, ‘No – you need to be around your team,’” he said.
Although she’s enjoyed cheering on her teammates, Parker said the hiatus has caused her to go “kind of crazy.”
On Oct. 17, five days before her last chance to compete, Parker received medical clearance to run. The stress fracture in her fibula is on the mend and the apparent stress fracture in her tibia was revealed to be a case of tendonitis where the ligaments connect the hamstring; however, there’s still potential for the fibula to break completely.
But even that won’t stop her.
“I don’t know if I could stop,” Parker said in regards to facing pain at the race. “The emotional pain would be worse than any physical pain of … running a race this weekend.”
This determination doesn’t surprise Klass.
“I’ve learned that you can’t limit her,” he said, adding that the potential for Parker to run a sub-18 minute race is still possible. Parker’s father Dave also acknowledges her conviction to compete at all costs.
“I think Renae would tie a couple sticks to her leg and run,” he said. “As determined as she is, she’ll probably bring Jefferson High a state championship.”
Despite being grounded, Parker has continued to maintain her physical fitness through low-impact exercises such as biking and aqua jogging.
The exercise has kept her in shape, but not in running shape, according to Klass. As the team reaches the final stretch before state, Klass has the team remaining active without tiring their muscles. For Parker, this means refamiliarizing herself with running and continuing to cross train.
With Parker and her teammates’ work in the regular season complete, Klass said it’s time to “put the hay in the barn” and run the race.
Even with her season’s setbacks, Klass continues to believe that Parker has the grit to win it all. But no matter the outcome of the state meet, Parker is sure to leave it all on the course.
“I’ll give it everything.”
