Runners from York County schools aimed for history at XC state meets. And 1 made it
Nearly an hour after Katie Pou finished her race and punctuated her career by doing something no one had ever done before, the weight of the moment seemed to hit her.
Pou was aware of what was at stake on Friday coming into the meet. She knew she’d be competing in her last race representing Nation Ford, a team she considers a part of her family — and she knew with a win she could become the first four-time 5A state champion and only the fourth runner to win four consecutive state titles in South Carolina history.
And she did what everyone expected her to do: She won the individual championship with a time (18:27.25) nine seconds faster than the rest of the field.
But immediately after her win, she didn’t have much time to think: She hopped in pictures with her team. She took interviews with reporters from local news outlets. She ran nearly another mile after her race with teammate Marysa Brenner to get into position so she could cheer on the Nation Ford boys’ team. And she accepted her first-place medal.
“Thinking about all of these past four years, I don’t think it’s fully hit me yet, but it will later, probably on the bus,” she told The Herald, laughing.
Then, mid-sentence a few seconds later, Pou’s voice changed. She started talking through tears.
“You know, I’m just so grateful at this point and just all these years I’ve been able to compete in cross country with my team,” she said. “They mean the world to me. And I’m just so grateful for it.”
Pou, who will run at the University of Pennsylvania next year, reflected on her six-year running journey on Friday. She said it all started in seventh grade, when she had to run in a baggy cross country tank top and long boys’ shorts on the Nation Ford cross country team because her middle school didn’t field the sport. She soon saw gradual success, learning from her older teammates and her coaches as well as from her shin splints.
Heading into her senior year, though — with three state championships to her name — she almost didn’t get a chance to make the history she did on Friday.
On a practice run before her senior year, she tripped on a tree root. She ended up with minor tears in multiple ligaments above one of her ankles, she said.
“It’s been a little hard. I’ve been taking all the proper precautions. I went to go see the doctor. I’ve been wearing an ankle brace even though I don’t like it. I’ve been icing after my meets every single time, and doing some extra strengthening on the side,” Pou said, adding. “Even though I went through those setbacks, I knew I could come out stronger.”
And by all indications, she did come out stronger than before.
Nation Ford coach Jake Brenner told The Herald after Friday’s race that Pou struggled at the beginning of the season, which makes her fourth straight title even more remarkable.
“With track season getting canceled, and her having to train on her own during the spring, and then she couldn’t go to any camps during the summer, her first few races were not good. Not good at all,” said Brenner, who’s been the coach at Nation Ford for four years. “She was struggling mentally and physically, and I think those two go hand-in-hand with each other. ...
“For her to overcome all that and basically kind of get back to her old self with two or three meets left to go in the season, it was huge. Her athletic prowess comes second to her guts, you know what I mean?”
The Nation Ford girls’ team finished seventh in the event, and in addition to Pou, was led by senior Ansley Archuleta (19th - 19:46.86) and freshman Mia Royall (41st - 20:25.35).
Fort Mill boys’ team finishes one place short of title
After the girls’ results were announced and trophies handed out, the runners on the Fort Mill boys’ cross country team stood in a semi-circle with their arms linked around one another.
The runners waited, some shaking their legs in anticipation.
“In seventh place, Wando!” an announcer bellowed over a microphone.
The rest of the crowd cheered, but the Fort Mill runners looked back and forth at each other with reassured nods. They hoped they wouldn’t hear their school’s name until the very end, when the speaker announced the champion.
Soon the announcer got to fourth place. Then third place.
The tension in the air rose in between each breath — and then it happened.
“In second place, Fort Mill!”
While Fort Mill fans and parents cheered, the runners bowed their heads in frustration and disappointment. They’d come so close.
“These guys knew from the very beginning of summer practice that they were going to be close,” Fort Mill head coach Lee Whitaker told The Herald post-race. “They knew that they would be in a position to potentially win it. And most of them had a good race today. They knew the score was going to be close, so I think there was absolutely some disappointment not being the overall winner.”
He added: “You pour four-five-six months of blood, sweat and tears into something — and you know you’re close. And you wait for that moment. And it didn’t quite happen like they wanted it too. But they’ll be proud and they’ll remember this.”
Fort Mill had four runners finish in the top-20 — Devon Sibley (13th - 16:03.22); Evan Wey (16th - 16:09.34); Alec Lootens (18th - 16:10.21); and Jackson Dawson (20th - 16:15.64).
Sibley and Wey are underclassmen.
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Northwestern’s Mason Thomas surprises himself, finishes second in 5A
Mason Thomas — who’ll end his career as the record-holder at Northwestern’s course and is considered one of the best runners ever coached by longtime great Calvin Hudgins — finished second in the boys’ 5A race on Friday with a 15:44.79 time.
Thomas surprised himself — and impressed his coach — with how well he ran.
“It’s literally what we came out here to do,” Hudgins told The Herald. “He’s extremely coachable, and he’s managed to put it all together. Last year, he was third. He won a bronze. This year, it’s silver. So he’s worked hard. And it shows.”
Thomas, like Pou, said after the race that he hadn’t thought about the fact that this might be the last race he’d ever run. But by the way he talked, it was clear that Mason —the kid who started running on a whim in the eighth grade and who somehow stayed healthy throughout the past five years despite over-working his legs, he admitted with a laugh — had done some reflecting.
The senior in high school said he’s still deciding on whether he’ll try to run in college. He said if he doesn’t, he’ll miss running greatly, but that he’d also be excited for trying and learning and experiencing new things in college.
“It’s just a part of life,” Thomas said. “You do some things and miss others. So I’ll lose this, but I’ll get other things later. I’m not too sad. It’s been fun. I’m glad that I’ve had what I’ve had.”
The Northwestern boys’ team finished ninth overall, led by Thomas, Christan Notarangelo (44th - 16:59.90) and Evan Crockford (46th - 17:01.34).
Other key results: Sam Rich becomes first Catawba Ridge cross country state champion
▪ Catawba Ridge junior Sam Rich won the 4A individual state title on Thursday with a time of 15:08.07. He’s the first cross country state champion in the school’s two-year history. The Copperheads finished fifth as a team.
▪ The Nation Ford boys’ team finished 10th on Friday morning and were led by Connor O’Flynn (9th - 15:57.69) and Alan Dayrit (42nd - 16:57.45).
▪ The Fort Mill girls’ team finished third overall in the state title meet on Friday, led by seventh grader Alivia Cleveland (13th - 19:27.78), junior Angel Kravitz (16th - 19:34.71) and seventh grader Avery Moriarty (20th- 19:50.53).
▪ The Andrew Jackson girls’ team was led by Emma Estridge, who finished 35th with a time of 22:28.57.
This story was originally published November 6, 2020 at 2:43 PM.
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