Just Run

Tough cross country course. Yep, they don’t come much tougher than the 5K layout at Woodberry Forest where the undulating terrain which includes several long, slow inclines can test the will and stamina of even the most seasoned and well-trained athlete.

 

Cold, windy conditions. Yep, again. Running anywhere, much less in a championship race, isn’t for the faint of heart when the temperature is in the high 50’s, the wind is blowing unfettered across open fields at a brisk 15-plus miles per hour, and you’re clad only in shorts and singlet.

 

What, then, did the members of the Collegiate distance contingent do when they stepped off their buses into less-than-favorable elements in the early afternoon of Friday, Oct. 31, to run in the Prep League and League of Independent Schools cross country meet?

 

They pitched their tent and secured it well, warmed up, toed the line, and competed with purpose and joy.

 

“I heard people talking on the starting line about how windy it was,” said Rosie Ferrell, an oft-honored four-season varsity veteran.  “For me, that makes it more fun because it requires you to have a challenge mindset and be excited about what’s to come. You have to clear your mind and just run.”

 

Collegiate’s girls won their fourth consecutive LIS championship and seventh in program history.

 

The Cougars finished with 28 points and were followed by St. Catherine’s (49), St. Anne’s-Belfield (78), Veritas (103), and Trinity Episcopal (111).

 

“Our girls have worked hard all season,” said Coach Matthew Richardson. “The biggest thing is that they’re really good friends, they take care of each other, and they enjoy competing. They know how to race, they’re trained and disciplined, and they made their way through the course like someone who knows how to run a 5K. It was pretty neat to watch them do it.”

 

Junior Virginia Harris quickly pulled away from the pack, expanded her lead mile by mile, navigated the challenging course in 19:17, and finished 48 seconds ahead of the runner-up.

 

“It’s taken me a long time to feel comfortable taking the early lead,” said Harris. “I used to like to just follow people. This year, I’ve tried to focus on running with confidence. Running is such a mental sport, and if you go out and run with confidence, you can do amazing things.”

 

Less-than-favorable conditions sometimes create a tactical race in which runners draft off each other as they settle into a controlled pace and wait for opponents to make the first move.

 

“When I got off the bus today,” Harris said, “I was like, ‘Yeah, it’s going to be a windy one.’ But everyone’s running in the same conditions. I knew it would be hard without anyone to draft off of, but I also knew that Matthew has trained us so we can do challenging things.”

 

Harris, the 2023 league champ and 2024 runner-up, was the favorite this year based on performances in high-profile invitationals this fall. With success come expectations which she accepted with poise and humility.

 

“I wouldn’t call it pressure,” said. “It’s more like a privilege. It’s something that can get into your head, but for me, I get a chance to help my team, so I’m going to run the best I can.”

 

Harris, Ferrell (4th in 20:42), Samantha McMullin (6th in 20:55), Anne Lewis (7th in 2108), Amelia Haske (10th in 21:35), and Claire Beville (11th in 21:38) earned All-LIS honors with their top 15 finishes.

 

Collegiate’s boys team placed fifth overall with 93 points behind St. Christopher’s (36), Fork Union (63), Woodberry Forest (84), and St. Anne’s-Belfield (91) and ahead of Trinity Episcopal.

 

“The guys competed really well today,” Richardson said. “This is a younger group, and we’ve worked this season on getting the fifth, sixth, and seventh runners as far forward as we can. We were a little short of the fourth and third spots (in the final standings), but it wasn’t because they haven’t worked and competed hard all season.”

 

Jack Porter (13th in 18:38) and Preston Sutherland (14th in 18:39) earned All-Prep medals. They, Reade Lewis (16th in 18:41), Ben Thalhimer (18th in 18:58), and Jack Rivet (35th in 20:27) comprised the Cougars’ top five. All are underclassmen.

 

“I really enjoy the community on the cross country team,” said Porter, a Junior new to the sport. “We all pull for each other. It’s a great team.”

~Weldon Bradshaw