PHOTOS BY GLE NN TRIEST

Down But Not Out

Jackie Rothenberg's
promising cross
country season was
cut short by mono, but
the West Bloomfield
High School
sophomore vows to
be back for track in the
spring.

STEVE STEIN STAFF WRITER

Slowly but surely, Jackie Rothenberg is
regaining her health.

That wasn't unusual, but she didn't
est Bloomfield High School
seem to regain her energy."
sophomore Jackie Rothen-
Rothenberg finished fourth in the
berg doesn't have much in
Oct. 8 county meet at Marshbank
common with Arnold.
Park in 19:54.3, and she was more
Schwarzenegger. But these days she
exhausted than usual at the end. Af-
does share the actor's trademark call-
ter running in a dual meet on Oct. 11,
ing card: "I'll be back!"
the diagnosis of mono was made, and
After an outstanding freshman
her season was over.
year in both cross country and track,
"I couldn't believe it when I heard
Rothenberg couldn't wait for cross
it
because.
I didn't think there was
country to begin this fall. Unfortu-
anything
wrong
with me. I thought I
nately, her season lasted only a cou-
might
have
been
just burned out,"
ple of meets.
Rothenberg
said.
By early October, she was sidelined
"What's really frustrating is dur-
by mononucleosis.
ing
the cross country and track sea-
"I think a lot of my main competi-
sons, I don't go out with my friends
tors have forgotten about me because
— not even to the movies. I take all
I missed so much of the season. Well,
my vitamins, watch my calories and
they'll all be shocked when track
protein and make sure I get my sleep.
comes along in the spring," Rothen-
I really take care of myself."
berg said.
Normally full of energy, Rothen-
West Bloomfield cross country and
berg
found herself struggling to make
track coach Lee Averill doesn't agree
it
through
most days as the mono
that Rothenberg is out of sight and
took
its
toll.
out of mind, but he is certain the 15-
She missed quite a few days of
year-old will bounce back from the
school, which has made it difficult to
disease.
maintain her fine 4.1 grade-point av-
"The coaches of a lot of cross coun-
erage.
try teams, especially those we really
Now, she says, she's starting to re-
knock heads with, were all asking
gain her strength. She's even done
about Jackie when they saw she
some light weightlifting and easy jog-
wasn't running," Averill said. "They
ging.
believe, like I do, that you want to face
Her doctors have told her to do only
your opposing team's top people. You
what she feels she's capable of doing,
don't want them to be out. Going
warning her that the mono could af-
against the best is the only way you're
fect her for a few more weeks or right
going to get better.
into the track season. Her immune sys-
Sept.
20
dual
meet
against
Troy
at
Marsh-
in
the
Class
A
state
girls
cross
country
"I'm not frustrated as a coach be-
cause of what happened to Jackie, but I meet at Saskatoon Golf Club in Grand bank Park in West Bloomfield. No girl ran tem has been weakened, so she must
guard against colds and flu.
am frustrated for her. I know how deter- Rapids in 18:26 and she was second in the a faster race at Marshbank the entire sea-
"My coach, my friends and my family
3200-meter run in the Class A state girls son.
mined she was to have a great season.
have been very supportive through all this,
"The
way
Jackie
was
headed,
I
think
track
meet
in
11:03.8.
She
won
the
3200
"I'm confident Jackie will be back for
and I appreciate that," Rothenberg said.
track in the spring. She's a fiercely com- in the Oakland County meet with a clock- she had a good shot at being the state
Besides the track season, Rothenberg
champion
and
getting
her
time
under
18
petitive girl, and she's very intelligent. She ing of 10:56.8.
is
looking
forward to seeing her family get
minutes,"
Averill
said.
"In
both
her
work-
As the cross country season began this
realizes there's no use moping about what
bigger. Her parents, Howard and Carol,
outs
and
her
races
before
she
got
sick,
her
fall,
there
was
no
indication
that
anything
happened to her. She knows she has to do
are expecting a baby this month. They
times were better than last year.
what her doctors say and take it from was wrong with her.
have two daughters — Jackie, and
"A
few
days
before
the
Oakland
Coun-
Rothenberg's
best
time
of
the
year
there."
Last year, Rothenberg finished second turned out to be the 18:55 she ran in a ty meet, she complained about being tired. Katie, 3.

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