Curious and eager to get out of class, the 2015-2016 Fair Grove student athletes gathered in the high school gym for a short assembly on Friday, August 26th. When students entered the gym, one object stood out immediately: a large trophy in the hands of their athletic director.
Most of these students grew up participating in sports, so trophies have played a large role in their motivation to succeed and rewarded them for doing well. Students soon discovered that Fair Grove athletics would be able to claim the title of overall Mid-Lakes Conference Champions and become the new home to the shiny trophy before them.            The trophy made its first appearance at Stockton for one year and then traveled to Strafford, where it has stayed for the past four school years.
For the first year since its start in the 2010-2011 school year, the trophy will squeeze into the Fair Grove trophy case. Christian Overstreet, Fair Grove athletic director, along with many students are very excited for this news. “The thing I like about this trophy is that it involves our entire body of student athletes. We have won this trophy by creating a winning environment in all of the athletic programs in our school,” shared Overstreet.
In order to claim the all MLC all-sports championship, a school must win the most conference competitions. “There is a point system so schools can still score points for themselves even if they don’t win a conference championship. Only sports in which five of the seven MLC schools compete in can win points,” explained Overstreet.      The points are calculated at the end of each spring season and the trophy is handed off to the winning school where it will remain for the entire following school year.
“The athletes have bought into what our coaches are trying to get them to do and those countless hours of hard work are paying off. This trophy is also a testament to the outstanding coaches we have at our school and the countless hours they put in to give our students the best experience possible,” exclaimed Overstreet.
Students and coaches are looking for even more success than last year. With fall sports already dominating competition, conference championships are very possible this year as well. Fair Grove plans to keep the title of MLC Champions for years to come and make a permanent place in the the trophy case for this well-earned prize.