If Sharina Ratliff were in the dictionary her definition might be something like, “A silent power that grew uncontainable with time and perseverance.”

There is only one way to excellence, and that is hard work. The person that doesn’t want to pay the price to attain that goal may as well chase smoke in a dark cavern. Shakespeare once said, “Some are born great, others achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” Sharina achieved greatness with sweat, an uncontrollable will to be one of the best, and the support of a host of peers.

Running is a passion for Sharina, and she will soon take that passion to the halls of Glenville State College where she will be a force to reckon with on the Lady Pioneers track team. She has been with the CCHS track team since the beginning, through the good times and the bad. She has mentally and physically made herself a better athlete to improve the CCHS track program, not just as an individual but as a team player. She is an inspiration to the other athletes with her dedication to the sport as well as the classroom. There is nothing beneficial to an individual that can’t be reached with dedicated pursuit, and Sharina has did just that.  She is the all time leading scorer for the girls with 500 points to date. She has scored in all the running events for the last two years and qualified for the state competitions on the 4×800 team last year and is ranked in the top ten in the 4×800 this  year. She has received numerous awards in track and cross country.  She is the epitome of what an athlete can attain if they want to work at it, a humble individual not just when she is down but when she is praised. That is what makes her a great athlete, teammate and friend.

The greatest feats are achieved by the single component, an individual.  A person holds the power to change, it is the individual effort that will always be the driving force behind what makes a team.  Individual effort will always determine the fate of each person.  Sharina Ratliff’s efforts, individually as well as when part of a  team, will make her go down in CCHS history as one of the best runners that has ever put on the uniform and called themselves a Lady Panther.

We do not wish her good luck in the future because it was not luck that got her to this point. I will say, “Sharina, go and show the world what a Clay County girl is made of. Congratulations.”