50 Tickets to Brooklyn: Girls #7

SUMMER PREVIEW

Accomplishments & Accolades

• 4^th Place – Division 2 State (XC)
• 2x All-State (XC)
• Region 11 Champion (XC)
• Division 2 State 3200m Champion
• 5^th Place – Division 2 State 1600m
• 6x All-State



Ratings Throughout the Years

Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date
11	Natalie VanOtteren	18:15.5	Grand Rapids Christian	158.5	Pete Moss	27-Aug
11	Natalie VanOtteren	18:51.6	Grand Rapids Christian	151.5	OK White 1	7-Sep
11	Natalie VanOtteren	18:52.3	Grand Rapids Christian	143.2	Christian Schools	10-Sep
11	Natalie VanOtteren	18:39.3	Grand Rapids Christian	144.9	Ottawa Hills	16-Sep
11	Natalie VanOtteren	18:13.5	Grand Rapids Christian	153.8	OK White 2	21-Sep
11	Natalie VanOtteren	18:46.9	Grand Rapids Christian	138.0	Cougar Falcon	24-Sep
11	Natalie VanOtteren	18:09.4	Grand Rapids Christian	152.9	Otsego Bulldog	1-Oct
11	Natalie VanOtteren	18:56.5	Grand Rapids Christian	156.5	OK White 3	5-Oct
11	Natalie VanOtteren	17:55.6	Grand Rapids Christian	157.8	Portage	8-Oct
11	Natalie VanOtteren	17:37.3	Grand Rapids Christian	159.2	Northview	19-Oct
11	Natalie VanOtteren	18:11.3	Grand Rapids Christian	154.2	Region 11	29-Oct
11	Natalie VanOtteren	18:38.0	Grand Rapids Christian	145.7	Division 2 State	5-Nov
Grade	Name	Time	Team	Rating	Meet	Date
10	Natalie VanOtteren	18:44.7	Grand Rapids Christian	148.8	Pete Moss	28-Aug
10	Natalie VanOtteren	19:14.2	Grand Rapids Christian	138.3	OK White 1	8-Sep
10	Natalie VanOtteren	19:05.8	Grand Rapids Christian	135.7	Christian School	11-Sep
10	Natalie VanOtteren	18:59.8	Grand Rapids Christian	146.4	Ottawa Hills	17-Sep
10	Natalie VanOtteren	18:35.1	Grand Rapids Christian	142.3	OK White 2	22-Sep
10	Natalie VanOtteren	18:46.6	Grand Rapids Christian	145.8	Cougar Falcon	25-Sep
10	Natalie VanOtteren	18:24.9	Grand Rapids Christian	151.4	Otsego Bulldog	2-Oct
10	Natalie VanOtteren	18:12.3	Grand Rapids Christian	148.6	OK White 3	6-Oct
10	Natalie VanOtteren	18:57.1	Grand Rapids Christian	145.0	Portage	9-Oct
10	Natalie VanOtteren	18:26.5	Grand Rapids Christian	151.2	OK White 4	20-Oct
10	Natalie VanOtteren	18:29.3	Grand Rapids Christian	142.6	Region 11	30-Oct
10	Natalie VanOtteren	18:13.5	Grand Rapids Christian	152.2	Division 2 State	6-Nov
10	Natalie VanOtteren	18:12.1	Grand Rapids Christian	153.6	MITCA	13-Nov
Grade	Name		Team	Rating	Meet	Date
9	Natalie VanOtteren		Grand Rapids Christian	101.6	FHE GRC Dual	22-Aug
9	Natalie VanOtteren		Grand Rapids Christian	121.3	Pete Moss	29-Aug
9	Natalie VanOtteren		Grand Rapids Christian	130.7	OK White (GF)	16-Sep
9	Natalie VanOtteren		Grand Rapids Christian	131.7	OK White 2	23-Sep
9	Natalie VanOtteren		Grand Rapids Christian	134.6	Cougar Falcon	26-Sep
9	Natalie VanOtteren		Grand Rapids Christian	138.7	Bulldog Elite	3-Oct
9	Natalie VanOtteren		Grand Rapids Christian	140.7	OK White Championship	14-Oct
9	Natalie VanOtteren		Grand Rapids Christian	133.3	Pre-Region 26	23-Oct
9	Natalie VanOtteren		Grand Rapids Christian	130.2	Region 13	31-Oct
9	Natalie VanOtteren		Grand Rapids Christian	127.7	Division 2 State	6-Nov

The Rundown

These ratings can do a lot of things. They can project the future, compare against competitors, show progression throughout time. Sadly, they cannot adjust for losing your shoes. Natalie’s 4^th place finish at MIS last year featured a missing shoe for over 80% of the race, though through that adversity, the race showcased her trusty Feetures socks and her mental toughness.

What may have been frustrating in November was hopefully forgotten about by June, and I’m sure her state title on the track helped a ton. Natalie added quite a bit of speed to her repertoire, reducing her best 800m by 8 whole seconds, which undoubtedly aided her other events. I’ve always regarded her as a little more of a distance girl, but breaking into the 2:1x’s dispelled that notion. Not as if her distance events suffered, big improvements came too (5:10 to 4:58 and 11:04 to 10:40). The most noticeable jump was in her State Finals, where she doubled her individual All-State efforts, moving up in place as well. She outlasted the field in the 3200m, winning it all, her first State Title ever, showing what she can do with two shoes and a ton of heart.