Leading by example

The Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy cross country team is headed to State. It’s quite an accomplishment for a team that is just 3 years old and fields only five of its original members. That the team is led by a home-school student makes the accomplishment all the more impressive.

Senior captain Ashleigh Stueckle (pronounced stickle) leads by example, her coaches say.

“Ashleigh is a consistent runner, which may seem cliché, but in reality that is hard to do,” says Lewis Watkins, cross country team co-coach. “She does all the little things well and mentors the middle-school athletes, who train with the high-school competitors.”

“Ashleigh is always enthusiastic about running and helps her teammates out whenever she can,” adds Chris Sears, who also coaches the squad. “She is not a real vocal person, but she leads by example and works hard and is always there for her teammates.

“For the team to qualify for the State tournament in their third season is really exciting, and they deserve it,” he says. “The whole team has worked hard and has done everything they could do. It’s a huge accomplishment.”

State athletic association rules permit home-school students like Stueckle to compete, according to Nels Pitotti, Charter Academy principal.

“Being home-schooled is fun,” says Stueckle “I work on certain sets (typical subjects such as math, science, etc) by myself and at my own pace. My parents are there to help if I need it.”

Stueckle has been involved in cross country since the seventh grade and became one of the original members of the academy squad when her family moved to Coeur d’Alene from Colfax. She is the daughter of Doug and Cheryl Stueckle. High school cross country athletes run 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) in competition. The girl’s cross country team finished second in the recent district tournament.

“Amazingly, we have no true distance runners (on the team), but through their training schedule and a lot of heart, the girls made it to State this year,” saysWatkins.”We just finished some team bonding activities, and the five of them (original team members) were recognized by their teammates and thanked for their efforts and contributions.”

Pitotti says the team has thrived under good coaching.

“They have come a long way just this year,” Pitotti says. “I’m really excited for them; they have had great coaching – really high motivators.

Stueckle also runs track for the school and has competed at distances from 800 meters up to two miles.

“Her experiences up to this point and at the State level will help her be that much stronger this year (for the track season),” Watkins says.