CARY, N.C. — Morgantown High school will be represented on the big stage after 2019 state cross-country winner Lea Hatcher and runner-up Athena Young took top marks at the Nike Cross Southeast Regional Saturday afternoon.
“After crossing the finish line, I turned around to see Lea battling to finish for third, then we caught eyes and were overwhelmed with excitement because we realized that what we had finally gotten what we have been training so hard for,” Young said. “My thoughts and emotions were more active during the race more than afterwards, knowing that I was in a good position – I don’t think we have fully absorbed everything.”
Young, a Division I signee with Kentucky, took 2nd place and set a personal record with a time of 17:04, just shy of taking 1st from Dobyns-Bennett’s (Kingsport, Tenn.) Sasha Neglia (17:02.5). Hatcher, battling a cold, took 3rd place 30 seconds behind young with a time of 17:34.
“She was over it [by the race], but said she had some drainage on the back of her throat during the race,” Morgantown coach Mike Ryan said. “But she was just excited about making nationals. That was the goal all season long.”
Only top-5 finishers from each of the eight regions qualify for the national race in Portland, Ore.
“I thought both [Athena and Lea] had a really good chance of making nationals if they came out and just ran their race,” Ryan said. “And that’s what they did. That was a huge 30 second PR for Athena and that ties the all-time fastest time 5k for any West Virginia high schooler.
“I think they really took the sport to heart and are taking it more serious [keeping track of] the little things outside of practice – sleep, diet, recovery, all those things. That was a big difference between this year and last. And they’re running together and pushing each other.”
Although she didn’t qualify, Ryan had a lot of praise for freshman Irene Riggs who placed 9th (17:55) and senior Jackson Core who placed 26th (15:40) in the boys’ race.
“Irene, I can’t remember another freshman girl [from West Virginia] running that fast. She was disappointed, but [she’s developed a lot] this year,” Ryan said. “[And Jackson Core] finishing top 30 in the boys race is a big accomplishment. [His time] was a PR, plus the third-fastest time any boy from Morgantown has ever ran.”
Although West Virginia is laden with experienced runners, Hatcher and Young are the first girls to ever qualify for Nike Cross Nationals, and two of three, boy or girl, to qualify. In 2010, Cabell-Midland’s Jacob Burcham finished 5th with a time of 15:23.10 in the southeast regional.
Heading in, Young doesn’t want to set too lofty of a goal.
“My goal for Portland is to try to just run the best race I can, because the course is very difficult so I will not be [setting a personal record],” she said. “The best girls in the nation will be racing, and I want to do my best to run with them and leave my mark out there.”
The girls’ national championship race is set for next Saturday, Dec. 7, at 11:35 a.m. It will be held at Glendoveer Golf Course.
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