Delaney Giles is forever an Eagle

The sight was breathtaking. As a bald eagle made a power dive over the pond, Kristin Giles was awed by the stunning flight maneuver of the most majestic and revered bird of prey in North America. The eagle made two dashing swoops toward the water before ending its stunning aerial display by gliding in a wide circle and disappearing into some trees. A small gold medal hangs not far inside the Giles home; it can be seen from the entryway. Shaped in the state of Ohio, the medal is suspended from a familiar red, white and blue striped ribbon. "It's just another thing to help us feel like she is still with us," Giles said, noting the medallion. The timing of the eagle's appearance over the pond and the medal is a unique connection. On Thursday, the Monroeville High School volleyball team will play in a Division IV state semifinal for a third time in four years. But the Eagles' third regional title, won on Nov. 6 against Wellsville at Strongsville High School, was somewhat unexpected compared to the previous two. And that accomplishment also feels bigger, in a certain sense. It's not the fact that the Eagles lost twice in the final five days of the regular season. Or that they replaced quite a bit of talent from the years prior. Rather, the grieving process after tragedy has become the Eagles' rallying point. "It's been really hard," senior captain Hannah Lyons said. "I want her to be here and celebrate everything with us. Every point, every win, everything. I just know Delaney is watching over us. I know she's there with us." On July 2, Monroeville senior and three-sport athlete Delaney Giles was in a single-car crash. Hospitalized for more than a month in a coma at St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center in Toledo, she came home to face a long road to recovery. On Sept. 10, Delaney was named Homecoming Queen at an Eagles' football game at Marsh Field. Big smiles were everywhere, including her face. Exactly one week later, Delaney, 17, died of complications from her injuries. Twice during the next three days, while the entire Monroeville community and beyond grieved in shock, the volleyball team had matches with rivals Buckeye Central and St. Paul. "When and if we eventually lose, it won't be the worst thing that's happened to us all year," Monroeville head coach Kendra Snook said. "I think these kids just needed to keep playing. We're playing for her." Outpouring of support "Active" isn't nearly a strong enough adjective to describe Delaney Giles. In addition to volleyball, basketball and track and field — the latter where she was a regional qualifier in 100- and 300-meter hurdles — she was part of Teen Leadership Corps, 4-H and FFA clubs while excelling academically and playing on travel sports teams. "The most outgoing person you'll meet," Monroeville senior standout hitter and fellow basketball teammate Graisyn Yoder said about Delaney. "She was the sweetest person with the biggest smile — someone who really knew how to light up the room." Lyons was one of Delaney's closest friends, and according to Kristin Giles, one of the "masterminds" in getting Delaney to transfer from South Central to Monroeville in junior high. "Delaney was always having fun and here for a good time," Lyons said. "She was always supportive. Someone you could count on — who gave her best, no matter what she was doing." Delaney's various activities enriched school, sports and life for those who knew her, participated with her and loved her. Her death affected so many others across Huron County, and the outpouring of sympathy and support was immediate and broad. Several fundraisers allowed people to remember and honor Delaney. Purple bracelets began to pop up everywhere. Several Firelands Conference schools made special mention of her in sports contests with Monroeville — and not just in volleyball. South Central's football team stuck purple butterfly decals on their helmets. St. Paul students wore t-shirts with a purple butterfly design for Delaney's favorite color and social-butterfly personality; the football coaches also wore the t-shirts during a game. At all their volleyball matches, the Eagles have included a chair with her No. 8 jersey hanging over it in the team's bench lineup. Delaney remained on the roster, with her name and number announced with the rest of the team before each match. "Keeping her included in everything has just been amazing and overwhelming, all at the same time — but in a good way," Kristin Giles said. "We certainly appreciate all of it, and her extended family all feels the same. We would like to thank everyone, but those words don't even cover the amount of support we've received. "Delaney hasn't always been a part of Monroeville, but the community has definitely taken her in and you'd never know she wasn't always there," she added. "I don't know the words to use to explain the depth of the gratitude we have." Playing for Delaney In the first home match following Delaney's death, her team lost a long, grueling five-set match to rival St. Paul on Sept. 21. But Monroeville's season was still solid ahead of Senior Day on Oct. 10 vs. Sycamore Mohawk. Although Kristin and Jerry Giles weren't able to attend many regular-season matches, they were on hand for the senior festivities. "That was a hard day," Kristin said. "You could really feel it then." The Eagles lost to the Warriors in four sets. They again lost, 3-1, in the regular-season finale vs. St. Paul on Oct. 14 in Norwalk. Then came the OHSAA single-elimination tournament. Faced with "win or go home," Monroeville found a different gear. After making quick work of New London, 3-0, for the sectional championship, the Eagles avenged their two close losses to St. Paul with a 3-0 stunner over the Flyers in the Oct. 26 district semifinal in Willard. Two days later, the Eagles were just as dominant in a sweep over Buckeye Central, giving the Bucks only their second loss of the season, both at their hands. Prior to the match, when Snook saw Kristin and Jerry arrive, she knew what to do if the Eagles defeated Buckeye Central for the district title. "I love seeing her parents and just the fact that they're coming at all," Snook said. "Delaney is a huge part of this team. I think they're closer than ever because of everything they had to go through." To cheers from the Monroeville crowd, the announcer began reading each player's name to step forward for her district championship medal. When he reached No. 8 on the roster and called Delaney's name, the crowd went wild. Snook took the medal from athletic director Ben Paul and climbed into the stands to place the award around Kristin's neck. The two exchanged a brief hug. "I just started crying," team captain Lyons admitted. "It just meant a lot, everything that it represented." The move caught Kristin by surprise. "I can't even explain what that felt like," she said. "I was not expecting that at all, but that meant a lot, it really did. We love these girls and the coaches on this team." Snook said giving them the medal was meant to let Delany's parents know their daughter is still part of the team. "There is nothing to make it easier — for them, or for us," Snook said. "But there are little reminders of all the happiness — because that's what Delaney was about. We still talk about the jokes or puns that she would have made. "But instead of crying about them, now we're laughing about them because we're thinking about her. We can't wait to see her family in Dayton. They are just as much a part of this as anyone." Paul has been the AD at Monroeville since 1996. He and the community have seen too many tragedies involving students, including multiple car crashes that were fatal. But Paul said when people saw Delaney back in the building at MHS, they had instinctively put the worst behind them. "I think that roller coaster of emotion, more than anything, made this different and harder in some cases," he said. "Some of those prior tragic losses were definitive in that moment and the community dealt with it, tried to pick up the pieces and pressed on. But with Delaney, it was a lot of anguish multiple times." Paul said when Snook gave Kristin and Jerry the medal, it hit home for many. "I think it was something you almost had to see or witness to fully understand how much that meant to Delaney's family, the team and our community," he said. "I thought it really summed up the community of Monroeville and how it responds to these horrible situations. "You're proud to be a part of a community like that and the way we help each other through the grieving process." Forever an Eagle On Nov. 6, the team defeated Wellsville in four games to win the regional championship. The 3-1 victory snapped a streak of four commanding 3-0 wins by the Eagles in this year's tournament. But what mattered more than that streak was advancing to the OHSAA state semifinal and a trip to Dayton with the victory. In the celebration on the gym floor that evening, Delaney's No. 8 jersey was lofted high, and Lyons held it tightly for every photo taken with the regional championship trophy. The next night, Delaney's grandmother, Renee Woodworth, joined her daughter at the pond for a campfire. That's when Kristin saw the bald eagle sweeping down toward the water. Just moments later, she got a text from Lyons that she and another friend were going to stop by to visit. "There's been quite a bit of … I wouldn't even call them coincidences," Kristin said. "I would call it Delaney giving us signs she is here. Whether it's me in particular or her friends. (She) and Hannah were pretty tight, so having her stop by at that moment was great. "I don't want to lose touch with any of them, and it means a lot when they do come over, even if for only a few minutes. We appreciate that," she added. Kristin and Jerry will make the trip to Wright State University's Nutter Center on Thursday to watch the Eagles face St. Henry in the 4 p.m. state semifinal. They'll look forward to seeing the players warm up in their purple t-shirts once again. "I know Delaney is so pumped for her team and her friends," Kristin said. "She would be dancing and singing and firing everybody else up. I think the team is having fun and staying loose, and that's Delaney. I know she'll be there for sure."