“All four of these runners are determined, they have heart, and they are leaders on our team. They push themselves every day and they never give up. They always encourage other runners and cheer them on at races. They excel in athletics and academics and are very focused kids,” says Melissa Roe, head coach of the Viking Runners’ Club and at Pine Grove Middle School, of Andrew Caruana, Eryn Wilkey, and Jessica and Carson Locke. All are seventh graders except for Carson; he’s in the eighth grade.
These four young runners have made the list of the top 50 middle school runners in Georgia. Carson made the list at #3, Eryn was #9, Andrew came in at #15, and Jessica was #50. These student-athletes all want to be the best they can be and they see the big picture. They understand that what they’re doing could very well pave the way to a college education. Coupled with an intense love of running, that goal drives them to work hard every day, run tons of miles, and make sure they take care of business in the classroom.
Running can be as complicated as you want it to be. You can simply lace up your shoes and head out the door. Or you can analyze your gait, learn the technical side of the running, and obsess over complex racing strategies. No matter which approach you take, usually the runner who puts in the most miles is going to be the fastest. And these four are putting in the miles.
At the middle school level, races are typically three kilometers (about 1.8 miles). In high school, cross country races are five kilometers (3.1 miles). Instead of simply focusing on the shorter distances, these runners all race longer events, up to half-marathons (13.1 miles) for a few of them. The extra training and the extra racing experience helps these young runners during their cross country season tremendously.
Carson has posted an 11:14 two mile and a 10:34 3K. Andrew has personal bests of 12:18 (two mile) and 11:53 (3K), while Eryn’s bests are 12:43 (two mile) and 12:20 (3K). Jessica has run a 14:04 (two mile) and 13:35 (3K). All four have run local 5K road races. Carson ran a 19:14 at the Honey Bee 5K. Andrew ran a 21:32 at the Color Me Viking 5K. Jessica posted a 22:45 at the Honey Bee 5K while Eryn ran a 23:27 at the St. John’s Road Race 5K. All of these are excellent times and are better than those of many high school runners.
Running, both cross country and track, are sports that often fly under the radar. They don’t grab the headlines and they aren’t very spectator friendly. But they are difficult sports that require patience, strategy, year ‘round work ethic, and a high threshold for pain. These kids have those qualities in abundance and can be the foundation for a dominant Viking program at the high school level in a few years. All want to run for the Vikings in the future, and Carson and Eryn would like to play soccer for Lowndes as well. Both are as dominant on the pitch as they are on the trails and the track. “As good as they are now, they will dominate,” says Coach Roe. “They will have no problem transitioning to the high school team.”
The key for all four is to keep enjoying the sport and remain injury-free. They already understand the opportunities that running can afford them in the future, and that keeps them motivated to train and race every day. “I tell them to keep getting stronger and faster so they can run their way to college,” says Coach Roe. “They all want to go to college, they want to be seen. They will all get college scholarships, probably in academics as well as athletics. They are all in honor classes and are great students. This is their passion and they’re great ambassadors for the sport. They are leaders in everything they do.”
Special Feature/South Georgia/February 2016
Pine Grove Middle School Runners
Pine Grove Middle School
Valdosta, Georgia
Robert Preston Jr.
Pine Grove Middle home to four of the top middle school distance runners in Georgia
