On the St. Louis cross country team, there’s a specific runner who sticks out among all the others. His dedication to the program is endless, and he never fails to put his team first no matter what. Not only does this individual run cross country, but he also is part of the track and field team. Throughout the years, his involvement in these programs has helped the program aspire and grow to what it is today. His name is Keegan Honig.

As of Mar. 10, 2021, Honig is officially signed on as a cross country and track student-athlete at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, MI. He has dreamt of this day his entire life and hoped that with all of his hard work and devotion it would finally come true. 

Honig mentioned, “Running at Cornerstone is a dream come true because I get to continue to do what I love at the next level.”

His ability to overcome obstacles and still tremendously succeed in his running career is motivational. Through Honig’s journey, he has never failed to stay positive and always hoped for the best in the end because he knew someday he would succeed. In fact, he was part of the state championship cross country team this year.. 

Honig said, “My biggest accomplishment in running is winning a state title with my teammates. I earned all-state honors along with three of my teammates, and though that was a dream come true and a huge accolade, winning the state title with my teammates is the most fulfilling and incredible thing I’ve ever accomplished with running.”

Even though Honig is attending Cornerstone as an athlete, he still is motivated when it comes to his future after sports. He wants to pursue a degree in secondary education and eventually become a history or an English teacher. 

He included, “In college, my biggest goal is to earn my degree as that’s a very important aspect of my future. I have big goals for the rest of my future, and I’m dedicated to the process that comes along with getting my degree.”

Throughout Honig’s journey, there have been countless supporters along his side. However, one of the most memorable ones is Mr. Jay Puffpaff. Puffpaff has been Honig’s coach for three years and in those three years, he has been one of the driving forces behind Honig’s success. 

Honig added, “My biggest idol when it comes to running is without a doubt Coach Puffpaff. Without his guidance, we wouldn’t have achieved anything that we did this year. Without him, I don’t think I’d still be running. He’s the best coach I could’ve asked for throughout high school, and our team is really blessed to have him as a coach.”

As Honig continues his path at Cornerstone, he has some promising goals for himself as he wants to be very successful in his future. 

He stated, “I’m super excited about running at the next level, and I have big goals.” Some of these goals are to keep punishing himself and buying into the culture at Cornerstone, as well as becoming an All-American someday. 

Honig’s time at SLHS is coming to an end faster than he thought it would, but he’s very grateful for everything he’s learned while he’s been a student and an athlete at SLHS. Even though his time as a senior is almost over, he’s still very dedicated to ending his high school career strong.

Honig included, “Right now I’m excited and focused on finishing my high school career this track season, but next cross season is definitely already on my mind.”

Cornerstone has become a dream come true for Honig and even with all the excitement and amazement his future will bring him, he still will never forget his time he spent as a Shark at SLHS.