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Jeniah Francis remembered as gifted, determined · Illinois Valley - Shaw Local

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  Speaker 1: Jenia Francis remembered as gifted determined Written by Kevin Schlum.
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  Speaker 1: This article is being read by an automated voice brought
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  Speaker 1: to you by Everlett. Mendota's Jennia Francis is being remembered
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  Speaker 1: as a talented athlete who showed determination to succeed. Francis,
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  Speaker 1: a Mendota sophomore, was killed in a car accident on
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  Speaker 1: Friday in Peru. She was a beautiful child who was
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  Speaker 1: taken away too soon. Mendoda Girls track and field coach
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  Speaker 1: Joe Hughes said Francis was a standout in track and
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  Speaker 1: field for the Trojans and also showed potential in volleyball
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  Speaker 1: last year in her first season in the sport. She
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  Speaker 1: was insanely gifted athletically, and when she put her mind
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  Speaker 1: to something, there wasn't a whole lot anyone could do
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  Speaker 1: to get in her way. Mendota athletic director Chance blum
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  Speaker 1: Source said She's one of those kids who when there
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  Speaker 1: was something she wanted to tackle, she was going to
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  Speaker 1: do it. It was apparent in her success on the
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  Speaker 1: track especially, but in any other sport she put her
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  Speaker 1: mind to as well. Francis broke two school records and
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  Speaker 1: was a state qualifier in her freshman season. This spring,
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  Speaker 1: Francis ran on the Trojan's four x two hundred meter
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  Speaker 1: relay that placed fourteenth in Class two A and set
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  Speaker 1: a school record at one forty five point five to three.
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  Speaker 1: She also was a sectional champion in the one hundred
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  Speaker 1: to qualify for state in that event as well. Francis
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  Speaker 1: had the area's top one hundred times the spring at
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  Speaker 1: twelve point four to one seconds, which was a school record,
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  Speaker 1: and also was top five in the area in the
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  Speaker 1: two hundred, twenty six point four to four, three hundred
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  Speaker 1: hurdles fifty point nine six and high jump one point
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  Speaker 1: six meters. Hughes said she was coachable and focused. She's
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  Speaker 1: obviously the fastest girl to ever go through Mendota. Hughes
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  Speaker 1: said she proved that with her one hundred record. She
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  Speaker 1: was the anchor on the relay team that went to
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  Speaker 1: state and broke our school record. If you asked her
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  Speaker 1: to do something, she was going to do it. Mendoa
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  Speaker 1: volleyball coach Demi Salazar said Francis showed insane ability as
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  Speaker 1: she came out for volleyball last fall with no experience.
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  Speaker 1: Francis played JV for the Spikers last season, but after
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  Speaker 1: playing club volleyball in the off season, was set to
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  Speaker 1: be a varsity player this fall. She was very coachable,
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  Speaker 1: Salazar said, with her work ethic. We would say something
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  Speaker 1: to her and by the end of the day she'd
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  Speaker 1: have it. She was a state medallist in track in
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  Speaker 1: grade school, and I think if you're that caliber of
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  Speaker 1: a kid, that's who you are. You understand that form
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  Speaker 1: is what you have to have. She was a good kid.
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  Speaker 1: We're going to miss her. Blumhorst and her coaches described
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  Speaker 1: Francis as quiet. She was a very quiet girl, but
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  Speaker 1: she also knew when to crack a joke. You said.
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  Speaker 1: She was very focused on what she's trying to do,
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  Speaker 1: but when she gets around the right group, she knew
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  Speaker 1: how to have fun and make you laugh. She was
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  Speaker 1: very shy, but she did a lot of speaking with
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  Speaker 1: her performance and her actions. Blumhorre said that she'll be
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  Speaker 1: missed by the entire Mendota community. She was quiet and reserved,
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  Speaker 1: but once you developed a relationship, she was a sweet
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  Speaker 1: kid who you could have a good conversation with. She
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  Speaker 1: didn't say a ton of words, but the words she
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  Speaker 1: said were impactful. She'll certainly be missed by everyone here,
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  Speaker 1: not just on the athletic side of things, but in
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  Speaker 1: the educational realm. She was just a great kid.