Kate Copp finds herself on Ohio's biggest stage

Most high school athletes know when their careers are coming to an end.

For Milton-Union graduate Kate Copp, that ending kept getting pushed back.

As classmates celebrated graduation and prepared for the next chapter of their lives, Copp was still showing up to practice every day. Two weeks after receiving her diploma, she found herself standing at the starting line of the Ohio High School Athletic Association State Track and Field Championships, preparing to compete in the 100-meter hurdles.

"It was so exciting but very nerve-racking," Copp said. "That 200-meter walk over felt like the longest walk ever with so many thoughts going through my head."

The moment marked the culmination of a four-year athletic career that saw Copp become one of Milton-Union's most accomplished student-athletes.

Copp competed in varsity soccer, basketball and track and field throughout all four years of high school, earning 12 varsity letters along the way. This year, the Milton-Union athletic department recognized her as the Most Outstanding Athlete of the Class of 2026.

Her senior year was filled with accomplishments across all three sports.

In soccer, Copp scored 23 goals during her final season and helped lead the Bulldogs to a finals appearance. She earned Conference Player of the Year honors, First Team All-Conference recognition, First Team All-Area honors and All-Ohio honors. Her teammates also voted her the team's Best Offensive Player, and she served as captain.

In basketball, she earned Second Team All-Conference honors, was voted the team's Sportsmanship Award winner and served as captain. Copp was also part of more wins than any player in Milton-Union girls basketball history.

During track season, she was voted Most Valuable Runner by her teammates and scored more than 200 points for the Bulldogs. She also finished the season with the second-fastest 100-meter hurdle time in school history.

Coach Meredith said Copp's state qualification was a fitting conclusion to four years of dedication.

"Having Kate finish her career as a state qualifier was a culmination of her hard work and unwavering ability to live up to the pressure of qualifying," Meredith said. "Kate always worked hard and had a great attitude daily."

Despite the impressive résumé, a trip to state was never part of the plan.

"No, I was not expecting to make it to state in track," Copp said.

In fact, she spent much of the season running times she hadn't seen since middle school.

"From the beginning of the season to the middle, I was running my worst times that I haven't run since eighth grade," she said. "I worked so hard on trying to figure out what I needed to fix."

Eventually, the work began to pay off.

Her times steadily improved as the postseason approached. Copp entered districts ranked fifth in the 100-meter hurdles and narrowly qualified for regionals after placing fourth in the preliminary round.

Then came a decision she still thinks about today.

The district finals fell on the same day as graduation.

Copp had to choose between competing and walking with her classmates.

"The Lord guided me to make the best decision I had ever made," she said.

She chose to compete, and the decision changed everything.

Copp ran a season-best time in the district finals, placed third and advanced to regionals. At the regional meet, she continued to exceed expectations. After qualifying for the finals, she finished fourth overall to secure a spot at the state championships.

"I was just so blessed to have made it this far and really was okay with any outcome as long as I finished and ran my best," she said.

While most graduates were finished with high school sports, Copp's season continued.

She traded team practices for quiet mornings at the track.

"I would show up to practice at 9 a.m.," she said. "It was just me and Coach Meredith out there on the track."

The experience was different from the team atmosphere she had grown accustomed to throughout high school.

"It was a lot different and kind of lonely, not having any of my teammates to talk to and mess around with," Copp said.

Still, those extra weeks led to an opportunity few athletes ever experience.

Copp had attended the state meet as a spectator in previous years while watching teammates compete. This time, she was the one stepping onto the track.

She remembers looking into the stands and seeing hundreds of spectators watching.

"I wasn't nervous at all until we lined up at the 300 start line and started making our way over to the 100-meter start line," Copp said. "That is the most nervous I have ever felt in my life."

Although she did not run her best race at state, the result ultimately mattered less than the experience itself.

"I was just so happy and blessed to be able to have made it that far and get an amazing experience out of it," she said.

As successful as she was in all three sports, Copp said soccer was the hardest one to leave behind.

"I have been playing soccer since I could walk," she said. "It's been a part of my life all year round for the longest time."

Yet when she reflects on her high school career, the memories extend beyond goals, victories and awards.

"The best part about playing high school sports is making all the memories and strong bonds with my teammates," Copp said. "Sports also shape you as a person and help you learn what you are actually capable of achieving and build mental toughness."

For Copp, those lessons carried her farther than she ever expected.

After all, just weeks before the state championships, she thought her high school athletic career was over.

Now, when she looks back on her final season, one thought continues to cross her mind.

"What if I never ran in that district final?" she said.

It's a question she'll never have to answer.

Instead, she left Milton-Union with one final memory: competing on Ohio's biggest stage after nearly believing the opportunity had passed her by.