The following is excerpted from the Church News. To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
Cover image via YouTube.
The first time the television announcers mentioned Kenneth Rooks’ name was when he fell more than two laps into the 3,000-meter race.
The Latter-day Saint from Brigham Young University made sure it wasn’t the last.
Rooks not only recovered to rejoin the pack, he stunned everyone by pulling ahead in the final stretch to win the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
“Wow, what a story this is!” said Lee Diffey, the NBC announcer. “From falling to the finish and a national championship. What a story!”
Despite the fall, Rooks recorded the fastest time of his three-year steeplechase career, 8:16.78. The victory comes one month after the returned missionary from Walla Walla, Washington, finished his junior season by winning the NCAA championships.
Rooks previously served a full-time mission in Uganda and Orem, Utah, for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
His goal was to be competitive in the race, no matter what.
“I wanted to make sure I left it out on the track today, whether I had the success I had today or I didn’t,” Rooks told reporters after the race.
To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
