BY KEVIN WOODRUFF
The Blue Ridge cross country program is making strides this season, as the boys’ team recently improved its record to 13-2 and took a victory over rival Montrose.
First year coach Sam Folk said the team is running great, and have far exceeded his expectations this season.
“I knew from watching these guys from other sports that we had some great athletes,” Folk said. “But they have gone above and beyond what I thought would happen.”
As a team, the Raiders are grouping together well in cluster meets, leading to numerous wins.
Folk also said that theBlue Ridgegirls’ team is doing well this year, despite not having a full five person roster.
Blue Ridge runners, from left, Ethan Mansfield, Mike Robbs and Chris Carlsen have been clustered together in the top 15 of races this season, helping the Raider team to a solid start. PHOTO COURTESY OF NORTHEAST EXPOSURE PHOTOGRAPHY
“I tell people that I wish we had a fifth runner on the girls’ team,” Folk said. “Because they could be a great team.”
Folk has been getting particularly good results from freshmen runners Lauren Whitney and Casey Purdum, who have been placing consistently in the top 15 at cluster meets.
In regards to the Raiders’ win over Elk Lake’s boys last week on Tuesday, Folk said the team ran exceedingly well.
“We respect what the Elk Lake team and coaches have done,” Folk said. “But it was great to be able to beat them. It shows how far we’ve come as a team.”
As for the rest of the season, Folk said he isn’t sure what to expect.
However, in the next few weeks the Raiders will be conducting training sessions to improve.
“We’re going to work on some things to help us get more speed,” Folk said.
Running tops for Blue Ridge’s boys’ team this season has been Jake Hinkley, who this week finished third overall in the race with a time of 18:59.
Also in the top five runners for the Raiders are Mike Robbs, TeeJay Loomis, Chris Carlsen and Ethan Mansfield.
“They are a great group of kids, and they’re all good friends,” Folk said.
In addition to being good friends, they all have a solid work ethic in practice.
“The work ethic these kids have in practice is unmatched,” Folk said.
Looking ahead to the coming weeks with the District II Class AA championship looming, the Raiders are hoping to go far.
“The kids keep telling me they want to hang a banner in the gym,” Folk said. “And I said, lets go out there and get it. If they keep running as well as they have been, I think a state championship is not out of the question.”
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