Grass Lake High School all-state track and field athlete Lexus Bargesser won the 400-meter run May 6, during the Stockbridge Invitational.
Photo, story by Jeff Steers
Exponent special writer
The senior year for Lexus Bargesser was supposed to be a curtain call for the Grass Lake track/field and basketball star.
She earned all-state honors and won a team title in basketball in 2021.
Bargesser almost single-handedly won the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 3 state track and field title in 2021 by winning three events.
But 10 minutes into her basketball season at the beginning of December, Bargesser injured her ACL, Meniscus, and sprained a few things in her left knee.
The seven-time state champion – two team championships and five individual titles – wasn’t about to lose her entire senior season to a knee injury.
Earlier in the week, Bargesser returned to run the 400-meter dash in 1 minute, 2 seconds in winning a tri-meet. She backed that up by winning the 400-meter event in nearly an identical time on Friday night at the Stockbridge Invitational.
The Grass Lake senior started running approximately a month after surgery.
“I was determined to get something out of my senior year,” Bargesser said. “My doctors worked with me and encouraged me to do this . . . and told me I could.
“That was my goal.” (more below)
Bargesser injured her knee in a freak accident in the Warriors’ first basketball game of the season. The defending state champions in Division 3 basketball missed the play of Bargesser – an Indiana University signee in women’s basketball.
“I don’t know why it (the injury) happened,” Bargesser said. “I don’t consider this injury a setback . . . something to get me stronger and better.
“My Indiana coaches have been supportive.”
Bargesser said it was hard to watch others play basketball, knowing that her senior season was lost.
“The biggest thing for me is (what) God has led me to . . . he made it so I can go out and run this season,” Bargesser said.
Bargesser and her brother, Brennen, electrified the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 3 state track and field finals last year by each winning the 100-, 200-, and 400-meter dash events. Both Grass Lake teams won state team titles in the process.
Bargesser put the world on notice by winning the 100-meter and 200-meter dash events at the state finals as a freshman.
The senior said her goals are to work on the 400 and hopefully have a good day at states.
