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By Grace Sullivan, Staff Writer
Photos by Michaela Kelly and Buzzy Staten
FFHS is off to the races so far this cross country season. With both of the teams currently undefeated in conference meets, the runners haven’t slowed since beginning their season with high energy and high hopes.
Head coach Chris Layton, returning for his third season, wants to continue pushing runners to their fullest potential.
“I tell the kids this all the time, cross country is one of those sports I can guarantee you they are gonna hurt after running,” Layton said. “There’s no better feeling than finishing a really hard workout and feeling like you’ve accomplished something. I want them to feel proud, no matter what happens at the end of the day.”
Last season, the boys and girls teams had a successful record, with both teams defending their regional titles and advancing to the NCHSAA 2A state championships. At the state competition, the boys placed fourth and the girls placed fifth.
“States last year was a highlight for me,” senior Alex Rodman said. “I ran my best time against some really good competition. It helped me push myself.”
While the teams are pleased with their results last year, all the runners have things they would like to improve and accomplish this year.
“I hope to drop my time a lot and do a lot better than last season,” senior Logan Haas said. “We also have a lot of new kids and an overall good team, so that’s good.”
Junior Jill O’Dell is returning for her third season and looking forward to what this season can offer. She is also excited about being with her team again for a new season.
“My favorite parts last year were everything we accomplished as a team, doing really well at states and defending our regional title,” O’Dell said.
Though the sport may seem intense and difficult, the team still has fun and makes great memories together.
“I fell in love with not just running, but how supportive and friendly the team is and how everyone works together,” O’Dell said. “It’s the most fun sports team I’ve ever had the privilege of being on.”
Layton hopes that camaraderie can lead to more success for each runner, regardless of how the Nighthawks place at regionals and states.
“If I get to the end of the year and they haven’t improved then I need to reevaluate what I’m doing because my goal is to help everyone get better as the year goes on. I think individually, we can have some top-five performances, and I think from a team perspective we can be very competitive in states,” Layton said.
In addition to dominating the Northeastern Coastal Conference, the boys and girls teams also have enjoyed success at large weekend invitational meets. They won the annual Pam Pack Invitational in Washington, N.C., earlier this month, with Rodman and fellow senior Skylar Stultz each winning individual titles. Sophomore Zach Hughes placed second.
Success in those larger meets against larger schools helps the team prepare for the regional and state competitions.
“Each year our team gets bigger: I hope we keep up the intensity and keep dreaming big and winning big titles,” Rodman said. “Since we are a small school, no one really expects us to do a lot, but sometimes we can prove them wrong.”
- Sept. 23 @ Bo Run (Boyd Lee Park, Greenville)
- Sept. 27 @ Northeastern
- Oct. 4 @ Hertford County
- Oct. 11 @ Pasquotank
- Oct. 18 @ Currituck
- Oct. 28 @ Regionals
- Nov. 4 @ State Championships
Junior Grace Sullivan can be reached at sullivangr1129@daretolearn.org.
