Cross country teams at Baker make state(ment)
In preparing for the high school cross country season, Ida Baker High seniors Jessie Betts and Zach Stackhouse concluded that they ran close to 500 miles during – what many consider to be – the summer vacation. They weren’t alone.
Both the boys’ and girls’ teams set out this season to achieve lofty expectations and to add to the school’s growing tradition in the sport.
They’ve succeeded through hard work and sacrifice.
Both teams are set to compete in Saturday’s FHSAA Cross Country Finals at Little Everglades Ranch in Dade City. The boys placed fourth and the girls third to qualify at last Friday’s Region 3-3A meet.
For the second consecutive year, senior Blake Behr will represent the Cape Coral Seahawks at the state meet, after finishing eighth.
“I told the team at the beginning of the year that the one question you have to ask yourself is ‘how bad do you want it?” said Baker’s Betts. “We put that on the back of our shirts to remind ourselves of that question during the races.”
For the boys, it’s their sixth consecutive trip to state. Former coach John Hyler played a major part in the program’s early success and it has continued the past two years, under coach Janet Davis.
Davis has guided the girls for six years, during which they continued to improve, breaking through at last Friday’s regional meet. This is the girls’ first state appearance as a team.
“We’ve actually progressed quite a bit,” said senior Darlene Hanlon, who finished seventh individually at regionals. “Coach Hyler kind of took us under his wing and with the help of (coach) Davis, they helped this program prosper and they made it more competitive.”
Hanlon and senior Amanda Kane each have qualified for state individually during their careers.
“The girls have gotten more pride,” Hanlon said. “They realize what they’re capable of and how much talent they have.”
This year’s team includes sophomores Leandra Munson, Kaylee Ludden and Tori Irvin, and freshmen Allison West and Jessica Polendo.
The boys’ team consists of seniors Betts, Stackhouse, Derek West, Dustin Greco and Jesse Applebaum, juniors Aidan Cornwell and Jordan Rodriquez, and sophomore Allan Wise.
Betts and Stackhouse led the team, finishing 11th and 15th, respectively, at the regional meet.
Davis said it has required a lot of leadership to achieve their goals.
“They’ve been training as a team,” Davis said. “They said from the very beginning that the ultimate champion is the team, not the individual, so they have been pushing each other and I think that’s what made them reach where they are.”
After the state meet, both teams will compete in a Foot Locker southern region event in Charlotte, N.C., in December.
The majority of the Bulldog runners have a busy schedule.
During a typical school day, they train at 5 a.m. because most of them belong to the Jr. ROTC Raiders, which practices after school.
The Jr. ROTC encompasses its own physical training, which includes a variety of events like sit-ups, push-ups and a litter carry.
Both boys’ and girls’ ROTC teams made the state competition.
“It helps because of the discipline,” Davis said. “The Jr. ROTC is an excellent program. They get a lot of training for that and it carries over.”