Olivia Toole

Olivia Toole has been with the cross-country program for the last four years, and is an athlete you can count on to fulfill any role asked of her.

“Olivia is very dedicated to the team. She is reliable, hard-working, and has a great sense of humor,” Lake Region cross-country coaches Kim and Kurt Peterson said. “She continues to improve her 5K time every meet, always striving to do her best. Olivia represents herself and our school in a positive manner showing great sportsmanship.”

In recognition of her strong work ethic, determination, commitment and good sportsmanship, Olivia is this week’s Boosters and Hancock Lumber “Player of the Week.” Each week, a Lake Region athlete is recognized for his/her dedication (does more than what is asked), work ethic, coachability and academic good standing. Recipients receive a specially-designed t-shirt, sponsored by Hancock Lumber.

Name: Olivia Toole

Year in School: Senior

Hometown: Naples

Parents: Vicki and Jeff Toole

Sports you play: Cross-country, indoor and outdoor track

School organizations: Astra, National Honor Society, Band

School honors: Manual Arts Award, Metals Award

Why did you choose to run cross-country? Many attempts from my friends and Coach Dors to recruit me!

What is the most difficult part of XC? Running, in itself, is extremely challenging, so finding motivation to keep going is very tough.

What do you enjoy the most? The feeling right after finishing a race is indescribable. It makes me feel so accomplished.

What do you feel you need to work on? At times, I feel like I’m running in quick sand. I need to learn to push past that.

Why is teamwork important? Although XC seems mostly about individual performance, having a strong team of at least five people is crucial to score points and measures your team to others.

What is the biggest impact your coach(es) have had on you? The passing of Coach Dors impacted my whole outlook on the sport and on life. He lived every day to the fullest and always spread positivity. Coach Peterson is a great coach to lift our spirits, keep us driven, and helps us always remember Coach Dors.

How do you want people to view you as an athlete? My biggest goal is to be kind. To me, sportsmanship, like cheering for other teams, passing out water cups and being a good teammate, is more important than being the fastest runner.

Ten years from now, when you look back on your high school sports career, what do you think you will remember most? I’ll remember the love within the team and how Coach Dors and Coaches Peterson always believed in me and my abilities.