Taking the lead is where St. Joseph-Ogden High School’s Danielle Kelso is comfortable.
Kelso’s quick start as the first runner helped the Spartans edge out DuQuoin in the 4×200-meter relay at the 2019 IHSA Class 1A State Championship; St. Joseph-Ogden crossed the finish line in first place at 1:44.81, Duquoin finished at 1:44.82.
Her start in the 400-meter relay also helped her team place fifth at the 2019 state finals with a time of 50.18 seconds.
Bringing home the 2019 Class 1A third-place state trophy set Kelso’s mind on other big accomplishments for 2020.
“My plan for this season was to earn another state trophy and I personally wanted to run in the 4×1 and 4×2 again, like I did last year,” she said. “I also noticed spots open in the 4×4 and was open to being put where I was needed.
“I envisioned running the sprint relays at state. I just wanted to leave everything on the track and walk away feeling content about how I ended my senior year.”
Like other athletes across the country, Kelso is still waiting to hear if spring sports will be an option should the COVID-19 crisis subside.
In a March 25 letter from IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson, athletic directors and school administrators heard that the IHSA is still working on ways to provide some time on the field, even if it means an extension of the season.
Kelso said that while the Spartans have to train individually, they continue to work together, just as they always have.
“The coaches have provided workout plans to do on our own,” Kelso said. “I’ve found that it’s really hard to do it on my own without my team by me. (Head coach Kelly) Steffen started a group chat with many of the sprinters (Thursday). It was nice to talk to everyone. We are planning to send selfies of us being active in the nicer weather today.”
Showing underclassmen that Spartans don’t give up when things get hard is what Kelso has her sights set on now.
“More often than not, life doesn’t go the way we planned it, you have to just get back up and keep going,” she said.
“Being an athlete has taught me to never stop working until you reach your dreams. Your dreams don’t always come easy but you need to persevere through the hard times in order to achieve them.”
Kelso didn’t plan on being a sprinter when she joined the St. Joseph Middle School track team to try out a new sport with her friends.
“When I first started running in middle school, I was put in distance events, mostly the 1,600,” she said. “So what I run has changed a bit.
“Immediately I fell in love with it and became very passionate about running.
“I think it’s really special to be able to see myself grow and change in track from start to finish, and to be able to see my teammates grow into the runners we dreamed of being in the beginning.”
Kelso’s call to the starting line may have changed, but what she brings to each event has not.
“I always bring my passion and drive,” she said. “I’m very invested in this sport and when I step out onto the track, I am driven to achieve my goals for that race. To be successful in running you need passion and motivation; I have that.”
Knowing that she might not make the cut to be on varsity relays was hard for Kelso as a freshman and sophomore.
“(Steffen) provided words of encouragement. Her words kept me working hard until I earned a spot on the relays,” she said.
Over the summer months, Kelso and teammate Atleigh Hamilton trained with Steffen, giving their skills and confidence a boost.
“Coach Steffen has been a huge influence on me throughout high school,” Kelso said. “She is very passionate about track and field and has always pushed me to do better. You can always count on Ms. Steffen to lift you up when you need it.”
Having grown up in the St. Joseph community, Kelso can now see that being a Spartan means working towards something bigger than self.
“We are here to win and be the best that we can be, that’s the kind of program I want to be a part of,” she said.
“I have learned that the times you remember the most are the times when you put the work in; it’s not always just about the times you are standing on the podium (even though that’s a really big part too).”
While the 2020 IHSA spring sport season still remains to be determined, Kelso knows that her state performance during her junior year will not be the last time she steps onto the track. Kelso has committed to run at Millikin University in the fall of 2020.
