While many people know Kim Whetzel as an administrative assistant at the USD 327 district office, her interaction reaches beyond her desk chair.
For more than 10 years, she has been the driver of the lead vehicle for Ellsworth’s home cross country meet each fall.
“My son (Caden) ran in cross country in junior high and high school,” Whetzel said. “Coach Coonrod asked me to help with the home meet in the chute. I did that for a year, then the next year, he asked if I’d be interested in driving the lead vehicle. I said that I’d try it, and I’ve been doing it ever since then.”
Ellsworth cross country head coach Eric Coonrod said that with Whetzel driving the lead vehicle, it allows he and his assistant to coach and do the other things they need to do in order to make sure the meet runs smoothly.
“At times, I had driven the lead … with Kim leading the pack, it frees me up, as well as my assistant coach, to be able to do what we need to when our kids are racing,” Coonrod said. “I’m never worried about Kim doing a great job, which helps EJSHS put on an excellent meet time and time again.”
Each meet day consists of several different races, including races for junior high and high school levels. Since the different levels of athletes run different distances and different courses, and to effectively plan for each different race, Kim and the other volunteer in the vehicle will go out about 45 minutes before the race to drive the course, making sure she will lead the runners down the correct path. In addition to ensuring she has the correct route, she looks for dips or any low-hanging branches along the way. 
When it’s time for the races to start, a new set of challenges present themselves.
“The most unexpected part has been how nervous I get before the race.” Whetzel said. “I always have to confirm with someone which race is first, because that determines which course to lead the runners around. I don’t want to start the event with the wrong race.
“There have been a couple of times where the vehicle hasn’t wanted to start. After a few tries it did. It is embarrassing with a bunch of people watching you.” 
Leading the race is more than a single person’s job. Whetzel will have a partner, usually Angela Mueller, riding with her, who will let her know if she needs to slow down or speed up so she can focus on the course.
“There are a bunch of moving parts when it comes to hosting a big event like this, and driving the lead vehicle can be a thankless job … but I am very appreciative and thankful for what she’s done for our school and our cross country program over the years,” Coonrod said.
Since doing this over the last dozen years, Whetzel has seen a variety of different things, especially with the vast array of Kansas weather patterns. 
“There was one year where a storm came in at the very end of the last race,” she said. “The race had just ended and it started to pour. I ended up shuttling a few elderly people from the start/finish line to the clubhouse in the pouring rain. I was soaked.
“There was another year where it was very hot. We had three runners that needed emergency services. The ambulance was called three times that year. Then there have been a couple of years where the weather has been cool. You have to be prepared for the weather.” 
Over the course of time, there have also been many wonderful memories formed, but her favorite memory is when she watched her son cross the finish line his senior year. He finished with his best time ever on the Ellsworth course, and his team qualified for state that year.
Whetzel’s volunteering doesn’t stop with cross country. Over the years, she has also volunteered for junior high Scholar’s Bowl, Scouts, her church’s youth group and Vacation Bible School.
She has been employed by the Ellsworth school district for about 18 years, starting out as a paraprofessional for special education and transferring to her current position for the last six years. In their off time, she and her husband, Steven, like to go kayaking, fishing, visit national parks and visit their son, who is a 2019 graduate of EJSHS.