Student-athlete ‘worked her tail off’ to advance career
By DONNA THORNTON, Editor
Family, friends, teammates and classmates gathered Friday to celebrate cross-country/track standout Elizabeth Chum as she signed a scholarship to run cross country with Coastal Alabama Community College.
Albertville High School Assistant Principal/Athletic Director Vohn Enloe said Elizabeth got a late start in her sport — starting in her sophomore year.
“But she hit the ground running,” Enloe said. “She really excelled from the time she started. We just want to wish her all the best. We know she’s going continue to excel and make us really proud at the next level.”
Track head coach Samantha Searels confirmed Chum came to the track team in her second year of high school. “She worked her tail off to make that girls varsity group, to make that top seven,” she said. “It was a hard group to make. Those girls were really good, they were really fast. They were county champs.
But Elizabeth proved to be a county champ, too, Searels said. “It showed perseverance and if you work really hard you can sign a scholarship in anything if you want to if you work hard and you put your nose to the grindstone.
“She’s also a great person,” the coach said. “I can only speak good things about her character. She always roots for everybody. I think she knows what everybody runs and jumps.
“That’s something to learn from her: if you work hard and you’ve got a good personality and you’ve got a good work ethic that you can go far in this world,” she said.
Elizabeth thanked all those who came to wish her well on this next step in her journey.
“I just want to say thank you to Coach, for always believing in me,” she said.
Elizabeth said the decision to sign was a recent one. “I only decided to go to college about a month ago,” she said. Elizabeth thanked all those who’ve supported her and showed up for her Friday – many of them returning the day after graduation at AHS.
“I just love y’all so much. Thank you for everything,” she said, then speaking to her fellow students: “I hope you do great things in life. You have so many things ahead of you and I’ll be here to support,” she said, as much as she can from college in the Mobile area. “I can’t wait to see you run and jump and do whatever you do.”
Albertville High School graduate Elizabeth Chum signs a commitment to run cross country for Coastal Alabama Community College before a gathering of friends, family and fellow students recently at the school. From left are the signee’s little sister and brother, Sofia and Christian Reynoso, Elizabeth and AHS head track coach Samantha Searels. Photo by DONNA THORNTON l The Leader
