A former Grace College student athlete, Karen Friend DeVries, is the subject of a story posted at the Medina, Ohio, Gazette, on Thursday, May 28. DeVries, a Wadsworth, Ohio, native who ran cross country at Grace, will be inducted into the Medina County Sports Hall of Fame next month. While a student at Grace, she was a two-time NAIA national qualifier and received National Christian College Athletic Association All-America status in 1985. Since college, she has lived in northwest Indiana, where she has been one of the most successful cross country coaches in the state. A portion of the story, which describes her successes, is included below. Click here to read the complete article.
From high school to college to coaching, cross country was part of Karen DeVries
It is no coincidence that each path Karen (Friend) DeVries has taken in her life has led her to where she is today.
Like a well-written novel penned by God, DeVries’ journey, which will include her June induction into the Medina County Sports Hall of Fame, has been a compilation of vignettes intricately woven together.
From being a notable high school athlete to a collegiate standout to earning the title of one of the most successful coaches of her sport in Indiana history, DeVries balanced all while adding the roles of wife and mother.
“She was a quiet leader, but I thought that out of all of the girls on our team, she was the one who could do it,” former Wadsworth girls cross country coach John Martin said. “No one outworked her.”
DeVries first gained acclaim as a solid runner when she was a member of Wadsworth’s girls cross country program, which won back-to-back Class AAA state titles in 1979 and 1980. Her running career continued at Grace College. She was a two-time NAIA national qualifier and received National Christian College Athletic Association All-America status in 1985.
Click here to read the complete article.