Gavin Connell nominated for ‘I AM SPORT’ award

Press Staff Report

Charles City senior and four-time State Cross Country Meet qualifier Gavin Connell has been nominated for the“I AM SPORT” award.

The award is presented by Mediacom, and it honors high school student athletes who are committed to giving back to the youth in their communities.

The three nominees who garner the highest number of votes will be invited to attend the Des Moines Register Sports Awards ceremony where the ultimate “I AM SPORT” winner will be announced.

Votes may be taken once a day through March 19, and can be logged at http://desmoinesregister.secondstreetapp.com/I-AM-SPORT-Award-Contest/gallery/94533595/.

The profile on Connell’s “I AM SPORT” gallery page reads as follows:

Gavin Connell is a senior at Charles City High School. Gavin has been involved in cross country, track, band, speech, and choir.

Gavin is a 4-year state cross country qualifier, letterwinner, and all-conference participant. Recently, he and his improv troupe teammates earned a berth at the all-state state speech contest.

He’s an active member of his church, National Honor Society, and his community.

Through his journey as an athlete and student, Gavin came to realize through successes and failures, that his greatest gift is his ability to give back, and he practices this often.

Gavin’s older brother of two years, Regan, a student with cerebral palsey, ran cross country with Gavin his freshman and sophomore years. Cross country was physically challenging for Regan and often felt better to practice without shoes. Gavin and his family would rake acorns on our cross country course to make sure Regan would be comfortable while training.

Gavin, a talented freshman, would finish a race and then run back to find his brother, and encourage him to the finish line. The selfless act inspired teammates, who followed Regan in at each meet, becoming tradition to “bring Regan in.”

Gavin was learning it more rewarding to give back than to win and teammates took notice. After Regan’s graduation, Gavin continued to make his time in cross country in service of the team and program. He would regularly seek out middle school students at their practice, at the end of their races, and in the halls, offering encouraging words and praise for good races and personal bests. Their faces would light up to be recognized by this upperclassman.

Gavin was hardly to be found at our home meets, running the course in support of others before his own race. When we hold our annual Elementary Fun Run, Gavin leads the stretches for the younger runners, talks up the experience, encourages, and celebrates with them after.

This past summer was a difficult one for our community as an up and coming runner, wrestler, and student, Logan Luft, was tragically killed in an ATV accident. Gavin and Logan had become close through a summer running camp at NIACC, training and commuting to and from Mason City together. The loss deeply hurt Gavin, but he managed to make it a positive rallying cause to reach out to younger students and inspire his own training in the name of Logan.

Gavin, an accomplished guitarist, dedicated his performance at the school’s talent show to Logan and plays often in the hallways at our high school to brighten the day of other students.

Gavin teaches guitar lessons to younger students, is a youth soccer referee, operated the sound board as a technician for the fall play and the Jazz ensemble and sings in the church choir. Gavin has worked at PAWS (animal shelter) for over two years, volunteers for C & W Rustic Hollow Shelter, Spay Neuter All Pets and the Party Animals’ Charity Bicycle ride raising money for our local animal rescue organizations.

Gavin has also been an important volunteer at the Parent’s Support Group Memorial Garden, which is a developed park area in Charles City for parents who have had a child die. Gavin will be taking his running and musical talents to NIACC next fall, where he plans to run cross country and track while beginning his pursuit of a career in music education.

He has left his mark on Charles City cross country and track athletically, but “service” to his community, and fellow and younger students, is truly Gavin’s passion.