The Davie High School Cross Country team had an outstanding season. The closing meet at Ivy Redmon on October 26 was a success. The boys put up a fight, coming in 8th place with 216 points and a team average time of 17:08. The girls’ team put in a hard effort, placing 21st with an average time of 25:44.
Running with the Girls
The girls cross country team worked hard this season, overcame challenges, and had a season to be proud of. The team placed 5th in the CPC Championship race with a team average of 23:43 and had lots of personal bests that night. Junior Lexi Marion placed 12th with a personal record of 20:47 and was an All-Conference athlete. The cross country team ran for the first time at the Great American XC Festival. There, Rachel Starkey and Clara Phelps both ran a personal best.
One runner who persevered in the face of adversity is junior Lexi Marion. Marion’s sophomore season was a setback due to a hip injury that hindered her from performing at her best. Marion states that this year went much better than last year.
“This year, I focused on strength training, lower mileage, and truly taking my recovery runs at a slower pace,” Marion said. “I also worked on my mentality for races and workouts. Also having fun with running even when it was hard.”
At the Hares and Hounds XC Invitational, Marion placed 19th with a time of 20:59. Marion kept on improving and working hard, which paid off because she shaved 74 seconds from her personal best she set her freshman year.
Freshman Rachel Starkey had a fiery debut in her high school cross-country career. Starkey ran as the number two seat on the varsity team. Rachel Starkey saw much improvement this season at the Great American races, slashing 43 seconds of her 5K time and running a new personal best of 22:35. During the middle of the season, Starkey faced a problem: she kept adding time to her 5K PR instead of improving.
“It was a hard mental battle to keep being consistent and staying focused, but with help from my teammates and parents, I was able to overcome that and ended up with a 43-second PR,” Starkey said. Starkey says she aims to improve her PR time and more specifically run a sub-22 minute 5K and to, of course, have fun.
The girl’s cross country team only has one senior they are saying goodbye to: Abby Lane. Lane ran a PR of 30:16 at the CPC Championship race on October 16th. Lane states her favorite memory from cross country is “Running with the team and making new friends.”
Lane did not join the cross country team until her junior year and before that, she was a sprinter her sophomore year during the outdoor track season. She gives her advice to people who may be interested in joining the team but may think it is too late for them.
“The advice I have for people who want to join the XC team would be that it’s ok if you aren’t the fastest because what matters is having fun and competing against yourself.”
The Boys Bring Standout Performances
The boys cross country team has had an accomplished season. The varsity team placed 2nd at the Providence Cross Country Invitational with a team average of 17:13. But the winning did not stop there; varsity placed 1st at the Hares & Hounds XC Invitational with a team average of 17:14. At the CPC Championship, Davie boys came in a close 5th place, only 5 points behind West Forsyth with a team average of 17:02.
The runner on the team who by far had the most impressive season is senior Thomas Essic. Essic placed 1st in the Providence Cross Country Invitational and the Hares & Hounds XC Invitational. Essic ran his personal best at the Great American XC Festival where he ran a time of 15:33 and placed 35th. At the NCHSAA Midwest Regional meet, Essic came in 4th with a time of 15:50, qualifying for the NCHSAA State Championship where he placed 9th with a time of 15:42. Essic says that this year he focused on training with intention and getting his teammates more involved so they can race better as a team. A challenge Essic faced was a shin injury during the second half of the season, but he focused on recovering after runs and making sure he focused on his physical well-being.
Junior Ethan Lakey also had a season of triumph. He placed 2nd in both the Providence and Hares and Hounds Invitationals. Lakey ran a personal best of 16:03 at the Great American XC Festival which Lakey said was his favorite memory from the season. Much like Essic, however, the season was not without its complications for Lakey.
“I had an injury unfortunately prior to the conference, and it messed me up for a couple of weeks,” Lakey said. “I definitely didn’t perform the best at Regionals, but now I’m recovering and training for post-season races.”
Lakey is recovering and for his senior year, he plans to compete for a top spot at states. The cross country is saying their goodbyes to three seniors on the team: Thomas Essic, Tyler Hill, and Chris De Vicente Guerrero.
Guerrero has been on the team since his freshman year. He ran a personal best this year of 18:02 at the CPC Championship race. Guerrero has seen huge improvements since his freshman year; he has cut an astounding 9 minutes from his personal best over his high school cross country career. A challenge Guerrero faced this season was exhaustion and motivation.
“By the end of the season, your body is wanting a break, and it’s hard to keep pushing and being consistent,” Guerrero said. “My teammates and coach pushed and motivated me to keep going.”
After high school, Guerrero plans to continue running by joining a run club and possibly pursuing a marathon.
The cross country team had an exciting season with many achievements. They worked hard and pushed themselves to the limits. The cross country team made much progress during the cross country season, and with indoor track just beginning, it is sure to be promising.