With her senior year officially over, Crest senior Elka Billings is left to wonder how her final track season would have fared had the COVID-19 pandemic not swept the world.
Billings had finished 15th, 10th, and fifth her first three years at state in the 800-meter run. If the pattern had continued, she surely would’ve snatched the gold medal she coveted so deeply.
And although the spring didn’t turn out as planned, the fall cross country season exceeded Billings’ expectations.
“Honestly, it was unreal,” Billings said. “Crest had been without a cross country program for nine years, and the first year we started up the program we made it to state as a team. That is pretty hard for any school to do, so that was really cool for us!”
Billings reached the state meet after a 15th-place finish at the regional meet in Wichita, clocking in at 22:40.66. The Lady Lancers qualified as a team by placing fourth behind Elbing-Berean Academy, Pretty Prairie and Macksville.
At the state meet, Billings placed 33rd with a time of 23:08. Billings said she was not satisfied with her times. She attributes the not-so-hot season to switching schools from Iola High to Crest midway through her junior season.
“I wasn’t having as good of times as my junior year,” Billings said. “I kind of put it on myself for not being as good as I could have, and I think the transition to a new school was a little hard for me, and that kind of stuff.”
Billings still managed to make the most of her senior year. Instead of getting ready for the track season, she decided to give basketball a try for the first time.
“I felt like I needed something different, and thought basketball would keep me in shape and give me something new to do — because running is what I’m used to doing,” Billings said.
“Obviously with it being my first year and a senior, there were some rough patches. I just had a lot of fun getting to play with the girls from Crest, and I just really loved the whole team aspect.”
Around winter, Billings started to consider her post-graduation plans with three things in mind: Running, deciding on a major, and remaining close to home.
Allen Community College brought all three. Running for ACC would mean working with head cross country coach Vince DeGrado, who comes with a long list of achievements with the Red Devils.
“Coach De Grado has always had a really good program, and a lot of success,” Billings said. “I got a packet with athletes’ previous 5k times, and a lot of them were able to shave a whole minute. He really is able to do a good job with his athletes, and I’m looking forward to being pushed and improving myself because I think he can get me to that next level.”
Billings highlights it will be an adjustment period, but is looking forward to a new style of coaching.
“I feel like he’s very driven and competitive, and not the type of guy that is going to go soft,” Billings said. “He is really going to get you where you need to go, and I really like that about him.”
