Two Lady Eagles make All-State 1st Team
By Shirley Shuman
For the second consecutive year, the Braxton girls’ cross country team won the state meet. Last year they were champions in AA; this year’s championship came in A. In addition to the team championship, Laura Cain and Addison Lloyd both made First Team All-State, and Leah Payne, Bethany Payne, Teagan Huff, and Reece Carpenter were named Second Team All-State. Cain has made All-State First Team two years, and Lloyd has received that honor three years.
Once again, Cain crossed the finish line first for the Braxton girls with a second-place finish overall. Lloyd finished 10th, Leah Payne 12th, Bethany Payne 13th, Teagan Huff 17th, Reece Carpenter 18th, and Chelsea Payne 26th.
Coach Robert Lloyd, obviously overjoyed at his team’s win, declared, “These ladies are so incredible!” He added, “They came out this season ranked in a different class from last season. We knew moving forward that moving into Class A would be tough because most of the Class A teams are in the LKC, and the LKC is the toughest conference in the state [as far as cross country is concerned]. The past two seasons the LKC has won both AA and A.”
Continuing, Coach Lloyd said, “When the girls took the line, I told them that this was their moment, that they have worked hard to get where they are and should do it for themselves. Over the last five years, seeing all of these girls going from middle school to the high school level winning championships is a great feeling. It is now showing the younger athletes in this county that hard work really can pay off.”
“The meet went out with a fast pace, and when [the runners] came by me around a half mile, the Eagles were still running in a group which they have done most of the season. As they came by the mile marker, Laura was in sixth, Addison in 13th, Leah in 15th, and not far behind were Bethany, Reece, and Teagan followed by Chelsea,” the coach said.
“Just before they hit the second mile marker, Laura had passed the group of four girls to put herself in second place. Addison had moved up to 10th, Leah to 13th, and the rest staying in the same position at that time,” he noted. The coach went on to say that Laura had faced a foot race with Bailey Holden of Doddridge, something she has done all year, and she won it to place second. First place went to a Charleston Catholic runner.