This Hercules is mighty on the track — and in the field

Track & Field coverage presented by ATT Sports, Inc.

By Jason Guarente — MikeDragoSports.com senior correspondent

There’s a box stored away in a closet that traces Chanel Hercules back to her athletic roots. It holds all of the awards she won as a child. From field days to soccer games to whatever else she happened to play.

Fleetwood’s junior said she hasn’t opened that box in a long time. Just thinking about it made her want to take a trip through those memories.

“I’d always get a little ribbon for first or second,” she said with a smile. “Always.”

Excelling in sports came naturally to Hercules. She stood out from her peers and it seemed to be effortless.

That’s how it looked when she pulled off one of the most impressive feats at the William H. Firing Meet at Shillington last weekend. She momentarily stole the show by taking first place in the 300 hurdles.

Hercules initially planned to run the 100, 200, 400 relay and compete in the long jump. She didn’t even try the hurdles until a modified Shaner Meet was squeezed into the Monday before Firing. The 49.47 she posted was enough to pique the interest of coach Steve Zeller.

“When I saw that time, I was like, ‘Is this right?’ ” Zeller said.

Fleetwood was compelled to enter Hercules in the 300 hurdles, scrapping the 200, and giving her a chance to take on the best in Berks. The next number she hit was mind-blowing.

Hercules finished in 46.45 to edge Muhlenberg’s Jessica Johnson by 0.21 seconds. Fleetwood’s junior was a county champion the second time she ran that race. She knocked nearly two seconds off a school record that stood for 33 years.

“That’s one of the reasons you get into coaching,” Zeller said. “I like all of the kids, of course. But to have a special athlete is just a different thing. Chanel is not just a great athlete. She has the right attitude. She does what you ask of her.”

Hercules fell to the turf in a combination of triumph and exhaustion after the 300 hurdles were completed. Some teammates ran across the infield to congratulate her. After a few seconds, she searched for her mom, Orlena, and ran directly toward her as she captured the moment with her phone.

It was the latest in a long line of achievements. Another one worth remembering.

“It’s crazy to think about how much I’ve grown and how much I’ve gotten better at all my sports,” said Hercules, who scored 10 goals in 20 games for the soccer team in the fall. “It’s fun. I like being the athletic one.”

When Hercules walked away from the long jump competition Thursday, Zeller asked her how it went. “Third place,” she said.

The interesting part was how she said it. With disdain. With disappointment. It wasn’t good enough even though she faced a talented field.

“Chanel wants to be the best,” Zeller said. “That’s an elite track athlete thing. When they hit numbers, they want that number again or better.”

Hercules has an impressive all-around resume this spring. Her long jump PR of 17-11.75 is the best in District 3 Class 3A.

Her 12.56 in the 100 puts her in district medal contention.

That 46.45 in the 300 hurdles places her third in district qualifying.

Not many athletes can combine sprints, hurdles and the long jump. They are different disciplines and require different skills. Hercules does all of them well enough to challenge the best in the higher classification.

“Chanel is so low key and laid back,” Zeller said. “She gets along with everybody. We all love her. She’s my favorite that there could possibly be. She’s so cool, she’s so level-headed. She’s going to do whatever she has to do to make herself better.”

Sometimes the results are hard to believe. They are Herculean.