Ravenscroft cross country
Only a freshman, Ravenscroft's Wesley Frazier is starting to make a name for herself in cross country circles. The ninth-grader finished last week's race with a time of 17:36.
Frazier, Ravens sprint past competition
As Ravenscroft cross country runner Wesley Frazier cruised through the early stages of Thursday's home meet against Franklin Academy and Cary Christian — the nationally-ranked freshman already staking a sizable lead — a handful of lost spectators tried in vain to wave her down for directions.
Coincidently, the group and Frazier were looking for the same thing: the finish line.
And, as many already know, including her competitors, the quickest way to find the end of a race is to follow Frazier.
But keeping pace is seemingly impossible.
On Thursday, Sept. 3, a mild September afternoon, Frazier knocked another nine seconds off her previous season's best, finishing with a time of 17:36. Ravenscroft teammate Lexi Bader, the second-place finisher — who dropped nearly 30 seconds off her previous week's pace — finished three full minutes later at 20:39.
Frazier's early-season dominance has been jaw-dropping, garnering her plenty of attention in racing circles, including a mention on www.ncrunners.com. When she runs, every fan, parent and runner — who's kidding, none are close by — take notice.
Ravenscroft head coach Leslie Payne explained the freshman's times are all the more impressive considering she hasn't been pushed yet.
"The times she's putting up uncontested are pretty much unheard of," Payne said. "And she's still improving, I think we won't have an idea of what she can really do until we get to the bigger meets [later in the season].
After the race, which Ravenscroft won, tallying a team score of 21, Frazier said the weather conditions helped her race.
"I felt more comfortable, and it was a lot easier to run," she said.
Without many challengers through the early part of the season, the freshman relies on her watch to maintain her pace. She checks her pace approximately every kilometer to make sure she's on course.
"Today, that was pretty good for me, and I'm very happy with that," she said.
While expectations for the freshman mount, Frazier explained she doesn't think far into the future. "I don't really like to look at [expectations]," she said. "I just try to go out and do my best. I don't think much further than the next race."
Frazier wasn't the only Lady Raven pushing herself to new limits this week.
In addition to Bader — who Payne expects to break 20 minutes in the next few weeks — Ann Reali, Elisabeth Schricker, Kala Babson, Shannon Strong and Emily Bedsole all reduced their season's bests by 20 to 60 seconds.
The five Ravenscroft runners took fifth through ninth places, respectively. Strong, just an eighth-grader competing in her first 5K, posted a time of 23:17. Schricker, Babson and Bedsole are all freshmen.
Payne praised her top 7 for pushing themselves to improve.
"I told them they needed to close the gap, and they did," the coach said.
Senior Lauren Pratt placed 11th, with a time of 23:58. "I expect her to finish in that top 7, too," Payne said. "I look for her to step it up. She's a fighter."
Behind the Lady Ravens (21), Cary Christian (40) took second and Franklin Academy (75) placed third.
Missing the majority of its male runners, who competed in the NIKE Hood to Coast relay, a race which stretches 197 miles from Mt. Hood, Ore., to the Pacific Ocean, the Ravens took third Thursday. (In Oregon, the Ravens took 29th overall in the men's open division.)
But Payne wasn't disappointed, pointing out several Ravens showed notable improvement over last year's times, and top runner Kyle Kittlberger (21:08) took sixth despite battling a cold.
The Ravens are expected to have its full girls and boys' teams for their next contest at Durham Riverside Thursday, Sept. 10.
"I am anxious to see how they are going to do," Payne admitted.
Following next week's race in Durham, the Ravens host North Raleigh Christian Academy and Durham Academy Thursday, Sept. 17. However, the majority of Ravenscroft's top runners will focus their attention on the Wolfpack Invitational held two days later at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary.
