Raider girls find their stride

WILLIAMSBURG — The Williamsburg girls’ cross-country team may be finding their stride at the right time after competing at the Solon Invitational Monday.

The team saw three personal bests and three season bests from its varsity lineup of seven and finished right behind a highly ranked team from Tipton, in class 2A.

Coming off a stretch of three meets in a week, Williamsburg head coach Nick Nordheim is happy with how the girls’ team raced Monday.

“In the past, I've generally not been too happy after the Solon meet,” Nordheim said.

“We've come off a stretch of three meets in a week, and we're always a bit tired and sluggish at this meet,” Nordheim said.

“I could tell that was still the case this year, but I really was happy with the way we battled through it and ran some outstanding races.”

The Raiders have been led all season by freshman Channing Becker who ran a personal best of 19:40 Monday and appears to be getting faster as the season progresses.

“She isn't afraid to put herself up in the race and really go after it,” Nordheim said.

The consistent number two runner for the Raiders this season has been Edie Axmear.

The improvements made by the team’s other runners at Solon were also a positive sign, hinting at the team’s potential to qualify for state.

Lilyona Abernathy and Leighton Mass set personal bests and Makenna Capper and Ashlyn Hoffman set season bests in Monday’s race.

“How far she has come in her two years in the program is just amazing,” Nordheim said of Abernathy. “Our pack has shifted around a bit, but they are really gaining momentum.”

Nordheim is excited to see how the team progresses the rest of the season and acknowledges the importance of leadership from senior Maelyn Parsons.

“She is the glue that holds us together and has been through it all,” Nordheim said. “I love that she is running great as a senior and feel great about her finishing the year with some great performances.”

The next stretch of meets, which begins next Tuesday with the Raiders’ second home meet, will be crucial, as state qualifying assignments will be announced soon.

“The next few meets are huge for us,” Nordheim said. “We need to position ourselves in the rankings to get a good state qualifying assignment.”

In the latest team rankings, the Raiders were 18th.

Fifteen teams, three from each of five state-qualifying sites, will advance to the state meet.