2011 High School Preview - cross country: From out of the blue ...

MEG WOCHNICK; Staff writer | ? Published September 14, 2011

The first year of Hallie Whitley?s cross country career at North Thurston High resulted in many head-turning performances followed by the question: ?Who?s she??

10 RUNNERS TO WATCH

Girls
Hailey Bredeson, jr., Northwest Christian
Aviva Browning, sr., Capital
Kenna Fosnacht, jr., Rochester
Chloe Hanson, jr., Tenino
Ellie Justice, jr., Black Hills
Sofia Kane, so., Olympia
Carry Larsen, jr., Centralia
Katelyn Lawton, sr., Yelm
Elizabeth Weber, sr., Northwest Christian
Hallie Whitley, so., North Thurston

Boys
Lucas Graham, sr., Northwest Christian
Nate Van Haitsma, jr., Olympia
Sawyer Hardebeck, sr., Timberline
Josh Miller, sr., North Thurston
Thomas Morrissey, jr., Tumwater
Danny Robertson, jr., Chehalis
Dakota Phillips, sr., Black Hills
Dallas Snider, sr., Chehalis
Alec Temple, sr., Capital
Cody Williamson, so., Shelton

Whitley had seven first-place finishes, was the 2A Evergreen Conference champion, the District IV champion, and had a 28th-place finish at state ? all in her memorable freshman year in 2010.

?I was not expecting that,? Whitley said. ?I trained hard and did as well as I could. I was really happy with how it turned out.?

North Thurston coach Heidi Perry said Whitley combines natural ability with hard work to be successful. Perry even has Whitley running ?state level? training days for fall practices. It?s the toughest workout ? eight miles a day. She also serves as a co-captain for the youthful Rams.

?She?s the complete package,? Perry said. ?She has lots of natural ability and the desire to work hard. She?s not afraid of it. She sets goals and goes after them.?

Her goals this year are predictable ? placing at November?s 2A state championships and helping the Rams make it to state as a team ? but getting there begins with a mental blueprint.

?I like that it?s not just physically challenging, but it?s pretty mentally challenging, too,? Whitley said. ?You have to push yourself. If you don?t do well that day, it?s all on you.?

Whitley and her family moved to Lacey from Southern California in July 2010 just prior to entering high school. She lived on Camp Pendleton, which is between Los Angeles and San Diego. Her father recently retired as a Marine and moved to Washington to be closer to her grandparents.

While some athletes turn to cross country to get in shape for another sport, running became Whitley?s passion at age 10. She joined the SoCal Roadrunners ? a well-known youth track and field club ? at age 11. Quickly, cross country and track became her sports focus.

From her first high school race, Whitley shined. At last year?s Capital Invitational, she placed first in the freshmen girls race, running a sizzling 15 minutes, 3.50 seconds. From there, Whitley said she knew it was going to be a special season.

She had four consecutive first-place finishes, including back-to-back winning times at the 2A EvCo subdistrict meet (19:44.12) and the 2A District IV meet (20:04.54). Her first-place time at district helped North Thurston earn its first trip to state as a girls team. It was a radical departure from when there was only one female runner in Perry?s first season coaching the Rams in 2000.

The Rams have three returnees who ran at state last year ? Whitley, Avery Miller and Caitlyn Goodwin, all sophomores.

?We have more girls this year that haven?t run before, but they?re looking good,? Whitley said. ?I?m excited for the season.?

Whitley logged between 40 and 42 miles per week and also added speed drills and hill workouts this past summer. That helped her start the 2011 season last weekend with a fifth-place finish at the Capital Invitational?s sophomore girls race. She clocked a 15:24.43 in the 2.33-mile race.

?She has a way of pacing herself and can be solid throughout,? Perry said. ?She?s methodical and very consistent. She?s a smart racer.?

Meg Wochnick: 360-754-5473 mwochnick@theolympian.com

Source: http://www.theolympian.com/2011/09/14/1799176/from-out-of-the-blue.html

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