Ooltewah exchange student runs up front

Arkansas-SEMO Live Blog
photo Ooltewah exchange student Josie Grube from Germany warms up before a cross country meet. She's running unattached for now but won the girls' race at the last CCCL meet.

There have been some areas of Josie Grube's transition to the United States from her native Germany that have been harder than others.

Running hasn't been one of them.

The exchange student at Ooltewah High School hasn't had a chance to contribute to its cross country success yet, because she hasn't been cleared to represent the Lady Owls after transferring from Central. She made that move, she said, because Ooltewah has a number of teachers who speak fluent German and have been able to ease her transition.

She has been running unattached in the Chattanooga Cross Country League meets and placed in the top three in each of her first three races, including her first-ever victory last week at Heritage. She'd rather be able to help the Lady Owls, though.

"I hope that I do get that chance," Grube said. "I run for myself right now, but I would like to run for the team. It would be cool to be a part of it, because right now I'm on the team but I'm really not a part of it."

In Germany, students run for clubs. Grube is part of a triathlon club back home, for which the translation is "the water rats."

One of the most exciting things for her about local high school life -- and something her friends back in her hometown of Henstedt-Ulzburg were initially jealous about -- was going to be riding the yellow school buses like they saw in American movies. Grube since has relayed to those friends that the seats "aren't that comfortable."

She also was excited, among other things, about lockers and the opportunity to attend the prom in the spring. After this school year, she'll go back to Germany and have two more years of secondary school left, after which she could return to America if she wants.

The Ooltewah administration has been working to help get her eligible. If not, Grube will be like any other team member on every day but race day -- like today when the league returns to Camp Jordan for the second time this season, starting with the girls' varsity race at 5:40.

"She's fit in really well with the team. We have a great group of girls, and she's been a good teammate and easy to get along with since day one," Ooltewah coach Brian Hitchcox said. "She's the consummate team player and has been a really good kid, and a really hard worker that has fit in well."

Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him at twitter.com/genehenleytfp.

Upcoming Events