Energy and excitement filled the bus as Davie Cross Country set out to race at the NPC Conference Championships on October 9. With the start of the championship series races, the stakes were high, and the nerves were higher.
Starting at 4:00, the varsity boys kicked off their race. Senior Ethan Lakey came in 2nd, running a time of 16:24, with junior Jacob Steelman and freshman Jaxon following, taking 4th and 5th, with times of 16:42.45 and 16:42.91. Sophomore Avery Van Lente also had a notable performance, running a PR of 1:10 to finish in 17:44.
Following the varsity guys, the varsity girls kicked off their race at 4:30. Freshman Kristen Starkey took the lead for Davie once again, coming in 4th with a time of 19:09, and achieving a 9-second PR. Sophomore Rachel Starkey followed, running a time of 21:31, a new PR. Freshman Addalyn Steelman and Senior Lexi Marion followed, with times of 21:49 and 21:51, marking another huge PR for Steelman.
The JV races kicked off after the varsity teams, and the runners had phenomenal performances. Junior Tyler Deaver had a huge PR of 1:05, breaking the 20-minute barrier to come in at 19:56. Sophomore Patrick Regan also had an impressive PR of 1:44, with a time of 23:25. Freshman Daniela George Perez came in with a time of 24:56, earning herself a 1:54 PR. Additionally, Freshman Meredith Gibbons had a significant PR of 4:15, running 30:49.
With a new conference and a new course, Davie runners didn’t know what to expect when it came to their performances. 19 out of 31 runners raced a PR, and 4 runners achieved all-conference, meaning they placed top 12 in a varsity race. The all-conference runners were senior Ethan Lakey, junior Jacob Steelman, freshman Jaxon Gay, and freshman Kristen Starkey. Lakey had an impressive performance, taking 2nd place and leading the Davie boys. Lakey had a difficult start to his season, with an ankle injury putting a pause in his training just before the first meet. Despite this, Lakey was able to bounce back and progressively improve his times over the course of the season, ultimately picking back up his pace.
“Throughout this season I had a rocky start but it has been a steady improvement and I’m proud of how I didn’t let the injury early on affect my season at the end.” Lakey says.
Additionally, Freshman Reese Rye has had an impressive debut season. Previously running cross country at Ellis Middle School, running is not an unfamiliar territory for her. Rye has been able to cut down her time by 2:37 since the first meet at the Ballantyne Ridge Invitational, reflecting her hard work in the sport.
“I’m very satisfied with my performance, because of my new PR and that I finished it out strong,” Rye says.
Another addition to the team, Freshman Meredith Gibbons, had an outstanding performance at the conference meet. Gibbons has no prior cross-country experience and previously ran sprint events for Ellis’ track team. Gibbons brings a positive attitude to practice and continually puts in her best effort. Bringing her best attitude to the meet, Gibbons was ecstatic to see how well she performed as she crossed the finish line.
“I was really determined that I would do well, to show my growth throughout the season. This let me push myself the way I did,” Gibbons said. “I am extremely satisfied with my performance; my goal before the meet was to get below 35 minutes to beat my PR, and I did that.”
Cross Country coach Rob Raisbeck won Coach of the Year on Thursday evening as well. Raisbeck is in his 10th year of coaching. Raisbeck can be seen all over the course at meets, going to different locations to give his runners their splits and to cheer them on, reflecting his dedication to the team and the sport.
Raisbeck puts a lot of time and effort into what he does, especially having to fit it into his busy schedule as a lawyer.
“My daily routine is to get to the office around 7:30 am, work until practice, coach, and then go home to have dinner and return to the office for my second shift,” Raisbeck says.
Raisbeck was also pleased to receive the award for Coach of the Year, stating, “It feels like someone who never got an Oscar but got a lifetime achievement award.”
Additionally, Raisbeck had the pleasure of recognizing the team’s seniors: Ethan Lakey, Brayden Kistner, Logan Zuleger, Lexi Marion, and Alexa Villa. The team met at their tent after the awards ceremony, and Raisbeck gave a short yet heartfelt speech about each senior. The moment served as a heartwarming conclusion to a spectacular meet. Alexa Villa, one of the teams seniors, has been running since her sophomore year. Villa consistently brought positivity to each practice and is a wonderful teammate to be around.
“The team has been such a huge part of my life- it’s pushed me to grow not just as an athlete but as a person,” Villa says. “The encouragement, laughter, and shared struggles have meant so much to me.”
This meet concludes the season for many; however, those runners will continue to work hard as the indoor season approaches. Davie’s top 7 guys and girls will travel to McAlpine Creek Park on October 25 to race in the NCHSSA 7A West Regional meet.
