Leesville XC team competes at 4A States

G’yasimine Butler, sophomore, strenuously makes her last turn for the final stretch of her 5 kilometer race. The girls team placed eighth among a competitive field of teams.
G’yasimine Butler, sophomore, strenuously makes her last turn for the final stretch of her 5 kilometer race. The girls team placed eighth among a competitive field of teams.

The 2013 girls cross-country team left an impressive mark this season.

On Saturday, Nov 2, the Women’s cross-country team participated in the NCHSAA 4-A States at Kernersville for the first time since 2001, a staggering 12 years!

The team finished 8th place out of 16 teams with 211 points [15 is a perfect score] with an average 5k [5-kilometers, 3.12 miles] time of 19:31 and a 1:56 split among its top five finishers. The were in a race among a very competitive pack of runners.

Four girls- G’yasimine Butler (19:49), Sarah Bigelow (19:42), Taylor Hemming (19:23), and Nevada Mareno (18:23) ran under 20 minutes and moved up the all-time top 25 list. Many female runners consider sub-20 a difficult benchmark to break through. Jordan Moreno, Sydney Winchel, and Morgan Barnes also posted impressive times in the 20 minute range.

The girls varsity team pose for a group picture in front of many spectators. The NCHSAA hosted the 4-A cross country meet at Beeson Park in Kernersville, NC.
The girls varsity team pose for a group picture in front of many spectators. The NCHSAA hosted the 4-A cross country meet at Beeson Park in Kernersville, NC.

Nevada Mareno, freshman, broke Lauren Strapp’s old record of 18:31, posted in 2010. Currently she is ranked fourth among all freshmen in North Carolina.

“Yeah, I was really happy for Sarah [Bigelow] and Morgan [Barnes]. I could tell they really wanted it,” said Mareno. “Even though I didn’t have as much push, I definitely wanted to be there for them.”

Losing two seniors will prove somewhat difficult for the varsity team. However, according to Milesplit NC, the girls team still sits at number 9 for 2014 preseason rankings. Next season, the success of both the guys and girls team will depend on the depth of returning junior varsity members.

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