Know pain, know gain: Spartan handles injury

By Jon Moffett

Lauren Agnew is nursing a stress fracture in both her shins.

BOARDMAN — It would have been easy for Lauren Agnew to retire from cross country.

It would have been easy for her to let an injury end her season, and likely her career. It would have been easy to just walk away from running.

But Agnew, a senior at Boardman High School, doesn’t always do things the easy way.

“Lauren is a warrior,” said Bruce Bruenig, the coach of Boardman’s girls cross country team. “I don’t know what other term to use for her.”

Agnew, 17, is nursing a stress fracture in both of her shins. Despite the injury, Agnew continues to practice — on a limited basis — with the team and even participates in meets.

Bruenig said he first noticed something was wrong with Agnew during indoor track season.

“It was just one of those things where you didn’t like the way it looked,” Bruenig said. “I’ve been around for a while and it didn’t look right to me.”

Agnew has been dealing with the injury since the spring, but isn’t letting it slow her down. Bruenig limits her participation in practice, but said she gets a lot of work on elliptical machines and grass to avoid hard surfaces.

“Right now I’m just trying to keep myself as healthy as possible,” Agnew said.

The senior Spartan doesn’t view her injury as a setback, but rather an opportunity.

“God has a plan for you and your life,” Agnew said. “And right now, running is not as important as making an impact.”

Teammate Katie Heney, a sophomore, said Agnew’s impact on her own running has been priceless.

“Lauren is a huge motivator,” Heney said. “She picks up our whole team and coaches me on how to run my races and improve. I don’t know what our team would do without her.”

Bruenig added Agnew’s impact on the team has been positive and her leadership is irreplaceable.

“She’s doing the things she has to do and she just won’t give up,” Bruenig said. “She’s a team player and she wants to do what needs to be done for the good of the team.”

Agnew said the team has been behind her and has been very supportive.

“As much as [cross country] is an individual effort, you work with your teammates and compete with them,” Agnew said. “But they also really push you and help you along.”

Despite not being able to give 100 percent, Agnew said she plans to continue running this season, and maybe even beyond. She is looking to study nursing at the University of Akron, Cincinnati or Toledo. When asked if she planned to run in college, Agnew remained hopeful but cautious.

“I’ve always wanted to,” Agnew said. “But I’m just worried that my body won’t be able to hold up to the demands of college running.”

Agnew said even if she can’t continue running, she’d still like to coach.

“I think coaching would be amazing,” she said. “I would like to inspire people to realize that this is a sport for everyone.”

jmoffett@vindy.com