Winning moments

Some people call it ice water in the veins. Others refer to it as coming up in the clutch. There aren’t two other athletes in the coverage area that define those statements or live out those phrases better than Gage Griffith and Eva Fahrnbruch. 
Gage and Eva were each awarded the second-ever Aurora News-Register male and female athlete of the year awards last week, both humbled and honored to earn the recognition. 
The accolades continue to roll in for Gage, a trend that hasn’t slowed down since earning the distinction of an All-Nebraska offensive lineman his junior season. 
As he leaves the hallways of Aurora, he’s earned that distinction twice, while adding a total of four gold medals from the state track and field meet, sweeping the throws in back to back years. 
In both attempts at winning the Class B shot put event at Omaha Burke, Gage had to pull out a winning throw on his final attempt of the finals. 
Each time, Griffy found it. 
“A year ago, I had the mindset that I have nothing to lose,” Griffith said. “It worked out for me and my senior year, I felt the pressure. Everyone wants to beat the guy on top. I had to find a way and not have the regret of wishing I had done something differently. There’s always a way. You just have to make it happen.”
I stood amongst the huge crowd of people last month as Gage struggled to get the technique down in the shot put ring, eventually falling to second in the standings during the state competition. 
Gage had his Mom’s heart in her throat. His Dad couldn’t watch. His sister felt like throwing up. 
Yet the entire time, as Gage set up in the ring for his final throw, toe-tapping the edge of the ring, I felt a quiet confidence that there was absolutely no doubt that Griffy would let loose on a winning throw. 
Why? It’s just what Gage does. For whatever reason, he lives for, seeks out and embraces the highest of pressure situations. 
Aurora track coach Gordon Wilson has seen that tenacity for several years now in and out of the throwing ring and was never surprised by any of Gage’s accomplishments. 
“He’s a humble young man,” Wilson said. “Every meet he went two for the last two years, he knew there were people there just to see what Gage Griffith does today. That’s a lot of pressure. He just goes about his business and he’s a friendly competitor.”
Many athletes can cave under the slightest amounts of pressure. Others thrive in those scenarios. 
Griffith is one of those competitors who looks for the big moment and always delivers something big, like a winning shot put throw on his final attempt at the state meet. 
“Gage deserves a lot of credit for that,” Wilson said. “He knows his abilities and what he’s capable of. Part of him may panic a bit on the inside, but you’ll never see that come out of him.”
Aurora football coach Kyle Peterson has seen the same thing, with a side of nasty. 
“He’s a big, strong, physical kid,” Peterson added. “He has a tenacious attitude. Everyone saw that on the football field and at the state track meet. It came down to the last throw and he wanted it. That’s a competitor. To have to make that throw on your last as a high school athlete, he can do it.”
Eva fell from the same tree as Gage, never fazed by the moment or hiding from the pressure. 
Instead, she runs toward it. 
It didn’t take long to figure that out, either. 
During Eva’s freshman season, she stepped up to the dish during postseason play, smacking a three-run homer in extra innings to help Aurora survive and advance. 
Some say that ball still hasn’t come back from orbit. 
She had a perfect explanation for why she, and even Gage, are wired that way. 
“To be honest, it comes down to the work we put in,” Fahrnbruch said. “We prepare for those moments. The pressure is scary, but you find a way to trust yourself.”
Her coaches certainly backed her up in that aspect as well. 
“Eva is one of those that, if it came down to it and we needed a spot filled for any event, she would do it without blinking,” Wilson said. “You know you can count on Eva to step in and be a team player.”
For Aurora girls basketball coach Kelly (Boshart) Krueger, there’s only one word needed to describe Eva on and off the athletic field. 
“The word that comes to mind for Eva is tough,” Krueger said. “No matter the situation, she’s not going to lose easily. It doesn’t matter if it’s the first game of the year or districts, she’s going to go all out and do what’s best for the team.”
Tough is right, like taking a softball to the face on the pitchers mound. Eva gets right back up and keeps moving forward. 
There’s never a doubt that when Eva is standing at the dish she’ll find a way on base. 
No question whatsoever that a ball hit back up the middle can turn into a double play with her glove. 
Give Eva a lead on the mound and more often than not she’ll find a way to shut the door. 
There were some who were surprised, Eva maybe more than anyone else, finding out she won this prestigious honor, chosen out of the huge list of female athletes making up four schools county-wide known as the best. 
Some of that surprise comes from her status as a junior during the 2021-22 school year. 
Sure, the winners of this award are more often than not going to be a senior. However, it’s not called the ANR senior girls athlete of the year on purpose.
Anyone can win it. There’s no handicap here. It goes to the most deserving athlete in the area, regardless what class they’re in. 
Eva and Gage stood head and shoulders above the rest and were without question the most deserving athletes for this distinction. 
To understand why, just check their veins. 
They’re full of ice water. 
RICHARD RHODEN can be reached at sports@hamilton.net.