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Goebel joins ACC cross country team

Courtesy Photo Levi Goebel (front, left) signs his Letter of Intent to continue his athletic career with the ACC Cross Country team coached by Mark Jacobs (front, right) while his parents Kory and Lisa Goebel look on.

Levi Goebel is the latest addition to sign on and further his athletic career with Alpena Community College’s steadily improving cross country team.

“I’m pretty excited. I didn’t want my athletic career to end and this is the way I get to continue that,” Goebel said. “It will be my first year running cross country, but I’m looking forward to the challenge and helping this program.”

Goebel was a standout on the soccer field and competed in track and field during his time at Alpena High School. Despite not running cross country before, Goebel has spent three years as a member of The Woods Track Club coached by ACC cross country coach Mark Jacobs.

“Levi is an outstanding young man. He combines everything I look for in a recruit,” Jacobs said. “I look at Levi as one of those throwback athletes from a later era, because he is just a hard worker and I have been fortunate enough to coach him in indoor got to know him. He is the real deal.”

Goebel became a key middle distance runner for the Wildcats last season. At the Big North Conference finals, he and his teammates took third in the 800 relay. At the Alpena News Track and Field Invitational, Goebel took fourth in the 400 dash and helped Alpena to a win in the 800 relay and second place finishes in the 400 relay and 1,600 relay.

Jacobs believes Goebel will be a perfect fit to his program that continues to grow and get better each year. Jacobs has had success recruiting soccer players to run for him at ACC and Goebel is another former soccer player that will look to make an impact during his time as a Lumberjack.

“This program is already built up and I’m hoping I can add to it,” Goebel said. “I’m going to go in and shoot high and try to improve each day. Being apart of The Woods Track Club the last three years was a blast and I’m familiar with a few of my teammates already so I think this is a great opportunity and should be a blast.”

With the fact that Goebel has not ran cross country before, his lack of distance running does not worry Jacobs in the least because of Goebel’s work ethic, which is always what Jacobs looks for in a recruit.

“I’m not worried at all about him. We will bring him along slowly and I know he is going to get the job done. I’m not worried about getting him from being a sprinter/middle distance guy to a distance guy because he’s one of those kids who wants to improve and does whatever it takes,” Jacobs said. “I also say that I would rather have a good athlete with great character that a great athlete with questionable character. He fits exactly what I always look for and this is a huge signing.”

Goebel will gel well with a team that already possesses a lot of team chemistry and that continues to get stronger with every signing that Jacobs makes to improve his program.

“Everyone on this team works hard and they expect everyone else to work hard and Levi never takes a day off and always works hard,” Jacobs said. “He is going to not only help us athletically, but academically as well. He is going to fit in perfect with our program and I can’t say it enough, we got a steal with signing him.”

The expectations will continue to grow for the Lumberjacks cross country team, but Goebel is determined to do whatever it takes to continue helping ACC head in the right direction.

“It’s comforting going into a program where your familiar with the guys on the team and know what they expect from you,” Goebel said. “I’m excited about this opportunity and I’d just like to thank Mr. Jacobs and my parents for giving me this opportunity.”

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