Bethel Christian’s Hannah Rhem, seated center, committed to Cedarville University Friday. Sitting with Rhem are her parents, Curtis and Lisa Rhem, and standing next to her are, from left, Bethel Christian athletic director Ashley Stroud and sister Emmalee Rhem. Photo by Junious Smith III / Neuse News

By Junious Smith III

Hannah Rhem wanted to fulfill a goal, and wound up creating a legacy in the process.

Rhem committed to Cedarville University Friday for track and field. The Bethel Christian senior made an impact in cross-country earlier this school year, finishing second in the NCCSA state championships at Hagan Stone Park in Pleasant Garden on Nov. 1, 2018.

Rhem said Cedarville, located in Ohio, was the right fit for her.

“I was looking at a lot of colleges and prayed about my decision,” Rhem said. “I felt like Cedarville was the right place to go, and I’m excited to continue running cross-country and track and field.”

Along with strong times in her races, Rhem helped bring a cross-country team to the school her junior year.

“I’ve always enjoyed running, but we didn’t have a team here,” Rhem said. “My sophomore year, I went up to Coach (Ashley) Stroud if we could get a cross-country team and he agreed to it, which was a blessing.”

Stroud said he can’t take any credit for Rhem’s success.

“I didn’t know much about cross-country, but she took this idea and ran with it,” Stroud said. “She was definitely the leader of the team, helping the team with a good game plan and training methods. You could see her running all of the time here, trying to get better.

“What I liked the most was her seeing a goal and putting in the work. Her dad worked with her a lot outside of practice, and she stuck with this program to help build it up.”

Curtis Rhem, Hannah’s father, said her daughter’s drive was still the biggest factor.

“We did everything we could as far as looking for training programs and running each week,” he said. “Hannah’s also big with nutrition and doing the right things off the track. She did a lot of the work and I would give her tips where I could. We received a lot of help from USA Track and Field coaches, just researching and finding ways to improve.”

Lisa Rhem, Hannah’s mother, said she couldn’t be prouder of her daughter.

“She has been very determined to reach this goal,” she said. “She always wanted to run in college and now she has the opportunity to do it. I’m not ready to send her off to Ohio, but I am happy for her.”