By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

          The first meet of the 2021 season is less than a month away, and Stratford’s cross country team will host the Stratford Invitational with heavy hearts.

          Senior cross country and track runner – and student body president – Walker Bethune died Wednesday, 11 days after being struck by lightning while on vacation in Marco Island, Fla.

          He was initially admitted to a hospital in nearby Naples before being airlifted to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami.

          Stratford held a community prayer vigil at the school a day later, and his parents updated the Eagles’ extended family with daily social media posts as well as starting a Caring Bridge page. A GoFundMe page was started as well.

          They reported early on that he was stable enough for an MRI, and last week that he wasn’t having seizures, and was squeezing hands and blinking eyes.

          But early in the week, they wrote that he was suffered some swelling of his brain, and progress stalled.

          “Walker has finished his race here on Earth,” read Wednesday night’s Caring Bridge post. He died Wednesday afternoon listening to “Soulshine” by the Allman Brothers, a favorite son of his, according to the post.

          “People always say, ‘He was a great kid,’  when something tragic happens,” Stratford cross country head coach Sean Sweeney said Wednesday night. “Captain of team, student body president.”

“Just a great human being. … Still kinda in shock.”

          Bethune finished 57th last November in the GHSA state cross country meet in Class A Private after taking ninth in the region meet to earn all-region honors.

          He teamed with James Michael Reeves, William McCormack, and Nathan Dummitt for seventh in the 4x800 relay in last spring’s state meet, helping the Eagles to a second-place finish in Class A Private.

          His mother Stacy is the team mom for the cross country team.

          Bethune had started a pressure-washing business, as well as forming a cornhole group at Stratford.