By the time it is all said and done, there will be a member of the Godderz family in the Crest High School track and field program for 14 straight years.
“Growing up, we were all taught to play all the sports,” Crest’s Evan Godderz said. “We are pretty well-rounded and it carries over when it comes to track.”
Currently the Godderzes are at the height of their powers with three siblings on the 2016 Lancers.
Evan is a senior this season and while he collects points for the Lancers across several different events, his favorite is the javelin where he is trying to chase down his brother Jordan Morton’s school record.
“It is cool (to chase his record),” Evan said. “It is also cool that he is my coach for javelin, so I don’t know what he thinks (about me going for the record) when he is coaching me.”
Morton, who graduated from Crest three years ago, currently throws for Pittsburg State University.
Laurel, a junior, is also making a name for herself in the javelin.
“It it is fun playing with (my siblings),” Laurel said. “It is pretty cool.”
Evan and Laurel’s sister Regan has also joined the mix this season and has been a major asset to the Crest sprinters. She is a key cog in the 4×100 team that is made up entirely of freshmen and has state aspirations in just its first year at the high school level.
“I love it a lot,” Regan said. “I like to see my brother and sister compete and they definitely push me a lot in all my events, so I love having them there for support.”
Although the two eldest siblings compete in similar events, Laurel and Evan both serve as leaders of the Lancer program with very different styles.
According to his coach Alan Newton, Evan has always been a vocal leader in the program and loves to help coach and encourage his teammates.
“Evan, being a senior and male, he is a natural leader and he was the quarterback for the football team,” Newton said.
Laurel has a more reserved style. The soft-spoken junior prefers a lead-by-example approach rather than a vocal style of leading.
“I love being the leader and being able to take control of everyone and lead them in any way I can,” Evan said. “My sister is more of a quiet leader, she isn’t too verbal, but the way she comes out and competes, I think the younger people see that and it inspires them.”
