2017 Preview: Fairfield Lady Lions set to add to success
The 2017 Fairfield girls cross-country team enters the upcoming season not just a team looking to build on their previous season, but a team that's the defending champions of the Southern Hills Athletic Conference.
The reigning and defending SHAC champions have put in the work this offseason to battle their way in defense of their title (they were also district runners-up), and head coach Raymond Friend is ready to see his team shine in ’17.
“I am excited about my girls team this year,” Friend told The Highland County Press. "I have had some girls run in the summer, and it is really showing up now that practice has begun.”
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Last season when FHS won the league championship, they were not the favorites going into the season to do so. They won the league title by outrunning the competition with a 16-point differential in the championship meet, winning with a score of 57. The second-place team was Eastern Brown at 73 points.
In ’16, the Lady Lions also won the Highland County Invitational held in Leesburg, and at the district championships the Lady Lions had an average time of 22:46.69. The final team time at districts was 1:53:47.81.
The FHS team of runners for the '17 season includes seniors Chloe Barber and Sarah Young.
“Those two just started running cross-country as juniors and have really worked hard, and both will make our team better this year,” Friend said.
Also on the roster are juniors Megan Gragg and Meadow Cunningham.
“Megan has been training better and was all-league last year. She wants to be even better,” Friend said. “Meadow has improved from last year as well.”
There is also sophomore Ciara Colwell, who was very close to qualifying for state last year. Coach Friend said she has been training hard to reach that goal. There are also sophomores Sarah Wuellner and Laynee Duffie.
Last year in the SHAC meet, Colwell was the runner-up in the event at 20:02.1, and she was third overall in the district race at 20:30.54. Gragg was also in the Top 10 in the SHAC meet with a time of 22.01.0, and at districts she had a time of 22:33.94.
“These two have improved, and our team will need them this year,” Friend said.
FHS also has one freshman who Coach Friend said will be a big part of the success of the Lady Lions for the ’17 season in Morgan Richmond.
“She has been training hard, and the girls are happy to have her on the team,” he said.
Fairfield has high goals again, and this is something Friend is happy to see.
“Our goals are to build upon last year's success of a district runner-up trophy and league championship,” he said. “We want to repeat as league champs, and also we want to win a district title this year. To do so, we will need someone to really step up this year to be a solid No. 5 runner for us.”