While many members of East Peoria Community High School’s Class of 2010 were busy preparing for graduation Saturday, their valedictorian was competing at the Class 2A girl’s track and field sectional in Rock Island.
At the top of her class, Cassie Lohmeier said she has always felt a connection between her athletic and academic careers at EPCHS.
“Running has correlated over to academics for me,” said Lohmeier, who has been running since she was in sixth grade. “That mentality of always wanting to push yourself or do your best has reflected in my academics.”
Lohmeier, 18, also attributes her success to the support of her parents, Steve Lohmeier and Kay Lohmeier, both of East Peoria.
“My parents were supportive, but they didn’t try to push it on me,” she said. “They wanted me to want to do well myself.”
When Lohmeier received the news Friday that she had earned the top spot in her class, she said she was not surprised.
“I’ve been in the No. 1 spot since I was a sophomore,” she said. “I’ve just maintained it over the years.”
English is Lohmeier’s favorite subject, although she said she has always performed better in other classes.
She received recognition as both the Spanish and Math Student of the Year. She is a member of the National Honor Society, an Illinois State Scholar and received the Sterling Merit Award.
Lohmeier will continue her cross country and track career at Bradley University in the fall with an undecided major. However, she said she is considering going into physical therapy.
“I’m not nervous at all about going to college,” she said. “I’m living on campus at Bradley, so that will be a change. I’m not nervous, I’m just more excited.”
Lohmeier will be reunited with former EPCHS runner Emily Gustafson at Bradley, which she said she is looking forward to. That, and being close to home, she said, will ease the transition into college life.
Lohmeier received the presidential scholarship at Bradley, as well as scholarships for athletics.
In keeping with her usual workload, Lohmeier said she does not plan to take a break over the summer. She will do a lot of running and will work at Splashdown.
“I’m training with Bradley all summer, so we’ll probably have to get up really early and train, and then I’ll go from that to work and try and work as much as possible to save up some money,” she said.
A summer job, a stellar athletic career and being valedictorian may seem like a lot for a high school student to handle, but Lohmeier has found a way to balance it all.
“My parents taught me good time management skills,” she said. “They always tell me not to take on more than I can chew and what I can handle.”
