Saturday, September 27
Stillwater, Okla.
8 a.m.
Abilene Christian
at
Cowboy Jamboree
Graham providing inspiration from afar as Wildcats prepare for Cowboy Jamboree
9/26/2014 8:02:00 PM | Cross Country
ABILENE - Abilene Christian head coach Keith Barnier and members of his cross country program remain shocked by the tragic events of the past week, during which assistant coach Drew Graham suffered a severe spinal cord injury while visiting Denver.
A second-year assistant coach for the Wildcats, Graham broke his C4 vertebrae upon diving into Cherry Creek Reservoir for a swim workout, resulting in paralysis. Thankfully, his wife, Laura, was present and her immediate actions saved his life.
Graham was quickly evacuated to Aurora Medical Center, and 48 hours after surgery, the 15-time all-America from Adams State began to regain some movement in his arms and breathed on his own.
Graham's friends have established a web site that offers additional news and updates on his condition. And there is a link there from which people can make donations in order to defer the costs of his current and future medical bills.
Barnier visited Graham earlier this week along with Graham's roommates/friends/co-workers Drew Ryther and Ray Walker, and came away feeling encouraged by his remarkable recovery.
"Drew really had an overachieving day when we got there Tuesday," said Barnier, "even though he couldn't speak. But he was glad to see us, and we were glad to be there especially for his family and his wife, who hadn't had much sleep.
"He moved his eyes to indicate he could hear us and smiled when I joked about turning in his practice logs on time," Barnier added. "He also loved receiving all the gifts - a big purple ACU blanket, foam finger and the oversized greeting cards ... His family flew here from England and they've simply been amazed by the outpouring of love."
Even with their coach's health in the forefront of their minds, the Wildcats this week had to find the energy and focus to prepare for the prestigious Oklahoma State Cowboy Jamboree, which bills itself as, 'the oldest cross country race in America.'
The Wildcats regularly compete at this annual event that's now in its 77th year. Last season the women placed ninth among a 12-team field that featured the host Cowgirls, Kentucky and Arizona State, while the ACU men came in 10th place, trailing the likes of nationally ranked Michigan and Northern Arizona.
Senior Daniel Block is the Wildcats top returning finisher from a year ago as he completed the 8K course in 28:16.28. For the women's team, the Wildcats return all but two members from last year's contingent led by sophomore Diana Garcia Munoz, who placed among the top 40 in 19:09.02.
"We're all saddened by Drew's situation," said Barnier, "but it's brought us closer together. All the student-athletes have been working so much harder this week, and I detect a quiet confidence within them that makes me believe they'll be running the fastest times of their lives at this meet against top-flight competition."
A second-year assistant coach for the Wildcats, Graham broke his C4 vertebrae upon diving into Cherry Creek Reservoir for a swim workout, resulting in paralysis. Thankfully, his wife, Laura, was present and her immediate actions saved his life.
Graham was quickly evacuated to Aurora Medical Center, and 48 hours after surgery, the 15-time all-America from Adams State began to regain some movement in his arms and breathed on his own.
Graham's friends have established a web site that offers additional news and updates on his condition. And there is a link there from which people can make donations in order to defer the costs of his current and future medical bills.
Barnier visited Graham earlier this week along with Graham's roommates/friends/co-workers Drew Ryther and Ray Walker, and came away feeling encouraged by his remarkable recovery.
"Drew really had an overachieving day when we got there Tuesday," said Barnier, "even though he couldn't speak. But he was glad to see us, and we were glad to be there especially for his family and his wife, who hadn't had much sleep.
"He moved his eyes to indicate he could hear us and smiled when I joked about turning in his practice logs on time," Barnier added. "He also loved receiving all the gifts - a big purple ACU blanket, foam finger and the oversized greeting cards ... His family flew here from England and they've simply been amazed by the outpouring of love."
Even with their coach's health in the forefront of their minds, the Wildcats this week had to find the energy and focus to prepare for the prestigious Oklahoma State Cowboy Jamboree, which bills itself as, 'the oldest cross country race in America.'
The Wildcats regularly compete at this annual event that's now in its 77th year. Last season the women placed ninth among a 12-team field that featured the host Cowgirls, Kentucky and Arizona State, while the ACU men came in 10th place, trailing the likes of nationally ranked Michigan and Northern Arizona.
Senior Daniel Block is the Wildcats top returning finisher from a year ago as he completed the 8K course in 28:16.28. For the women's team, the Wildcats return all but two members from last year's contingent led by sophomore Diana Garcia Munoz, who placed among the top 40 in 19:09.02.
"We're all saddened by Drew's situation," said Barnier, "but it's brought us closer together. All the student-athletes have been working so much harder this week, and I detect a quiet confidence within them that makes me believe they'll be running the fastest times of their lives at this meet against top-flight competition."
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