Gryphons, Knights split Big East cross country titles

RED OAK – Before every meet, Mary McCall Leland gathers Rocky Mount High into a circle and forces each team member to say one positive thought.

At Wednesday afternoon’s Big East championship meet, the senior instead opted for everyone to share their nerves before the race. The hope was it would not allow the Gryphons to be nervous on the course.

It worked.

Four Gryphons runners placed in the top seven overall as Rocky Mount High earned the girls’ conference title by eight points over Northern Nash.

“When we said (our nerves) out loud, they lost the power to control our ability,” Leland said. “(The circle’s purpose is) so we don’t stop running when we’re hurt, but we go to that next level and we push ourselves.”

The Gryphons had lost the first several conference meets to the Knights by a few points, but they finally eclipsed Northern Nash in last week’s meet. The confidence carried over into Wednesday.

Leland separated herself from Northern Nash junior Halie Huffman early in the race, and despite Huffman’s repeated attempts to gain ground, Leland found a way to surge at the correct moments.

But the real race was behind them.

A trio of Gryphons runners had staked themselves to about a seven-second lead over three Northern Nash runners at the one-mile mark. The Knights’ trio could never muster the energy to surpass their rivals.

“We just couldn’t overcome the pack mentality that they established,” Northern Nash coach Jeff Dodrill said. “We didn’t challenge it.”

There are two main factors in the Gryphons’ success the past two weeks.

The first was the addition of Jillian Lavely to the roster last month, giving Rocky Mount High a strong fifth runner. The sophomore ran with a blue cast on her wrist Wednesday after fracturing her wrist last week, but still finished 13th overall to clinch the Gryphons’ title.

Rocky Mount High also made a slight change in practice that has given it more energy on meet days the past few weeks.

“In a lot of the races this year, we’ve been running tired,” Gryphons’ coach Dee Anna Davis said. “A lot of the girls have a lot of other things going on … we made a couple of adjustments in our running to taper off just a little bit and they were a little bit more rested.”

BOYS’
Northern Nash 22, Rocky Mount High 55, Wilson Hunt 70, Nash Central 98, Southern Nash 137, Wilson Fike 151
Stephen Whitehead (NN), 16:41; Coleman Cherry (NN), 16:55; Jordan Richardson (NN), 17:35; Jackson Lavely (RMH), 17:44; Tyric Hill (NN), 17:57.

GIRLS’
Rocky Mount High 33, Northern Nash 41, Wilson Hunt 58, Nash Central 120, Wilson Fike 125, Southern Nash 155
Lauren West (WH), 20:49; Mary McCall Leland (RMH), 21:13; Halie Huffman (NN), 21:26; Isabel Reed (WH), 21:30; Ashtyn Schrimper (RMH), 21:41.

By Josh walfish

Sports Writer

Rocky Mount Telegram

Thursday, October 22, 2015