Spring sports senior profiles, an ongoing series

With the spring sports season in question, we here at the Coalfield Progress/Dickenson Star/Big Stone Gap Post hope to run a profile on each and every senior in the paper. Our intention is to give them and their families something to feel happy about in a time of such uncertainty. This will be an ongoing series with different students featured each week.

Union tennis’s Krista Meredith

Seventeen-year-old Krista Meredith grew up playing soccer and softball, but did a 180 in high school playing volleyball and tennis for the Lady Bears.

Meredith does not intend to play sports in college. She will attend Mountain Empire Community College in the fall and major in biology with the career goal of being an optometrist.

Meredith feels very sad that her senior year ended abruptly and knowing her spring sports season hangs in the balance.

“I am missing out on making memories,” Meredith said. “I do not think we will have a spring sports season. I am very disappointed because I was just starting to improve in tennis. I ope I will be able to experience just one more season.”

To her teammates, Meredith hopes for success.

“I hope they are successful in everything they do. Although we did not get to spend much time with the underclassmen, from what I can tell, they are intelligent girls with potential to be great.,” Meredith said.

Union track’s Antwun Jenkins

Antwun Jenkins, 19, grew up in a football family. In high school, he played basketball, football and ran track for the Bears.

Jenkins wants to continue to play football in college, but is uncommitted at this time. He will major in sports medicine.

Jenkins talked about how the 2020 seniors came into their senior year not knowing what was going to happen, and now things feel unfinished.

“We seniors came into 2020 not know what was going to happen,” Jenkins said. “It’s heartbreaking to know that we’re never going to get our last walk down the halls in school.”

Jenkins imparts a message of the importance of sports and the way it influences young athletes.

“It’s not just about winning,” Jenkins said. “It’s about how to be a leader and about the lessons it taught you about facing adversity. It’s those lessons that mean the most. Sports taught me to tackle my problems, block out my fears and always finish strong no matter what.”

To his teammates, Jenkins has faith in you.

“Whatever sport it is you play, don’t take it for granted,” Jenkins said. “You can do anything you set your mind to.”

Union track’s Trevor Wagner

Trevor Wagner, 18, played football and ran indoor and outdoor track for the Bears. He played football and baseball growing up and added track in his eighth grade year.

Wagner will not continue his sports career in college. He will attend UVA Wise to major in accounting and business.

Wagner is a heavily decorated athlete in both football and track. In his senior year of football, he was awarded first team, all-district and all-region as well as lineman of the year in the Mountain 7 District. He was also selected the All-Southwest Virginia offensive lineman of the year. In track, Wagner has been recognized last year as all-state for the 110-meter hurdles and all-state for the 55-meter hurdles this winter in indoor track.

Wagner has resigned himself to accept the loss of the end of his senior year in support of the greater good.

“I’ve accepted it at this point and I know that it was the right thing to do to try to stop the spread of the virus,” Wagner said. “I'm not happy that there might not be a spring sports season this year, but that's out of our hands at this point. All we can do now is pray that things will get better and hope for the best.”

To his teammates, Wagner says: “We will all still go on to do great things in life and will come out of this stronger than ever. Keep working hard and you all will be great. Don’t take a single moment for granted.”