Falcon Cross Country has trained at First Landing State Park every morning since July. This team, comprised of mostly 9th graders with a mix of returners, is now a part of the newly assigned Virginia High School League (VHSL) 5A region this year due to a lower overall number of students in the school.

What happened: The boys and girls’ Cross Country teams are a month into their pre-season training. After losing some key members last year due to graduation, the team should still still remain strong due to incoming talent.

Key Players: The team is led by seniors Colby Chamberlin, Volkan Akkale, Bailey Deaver, and Jordan Parker-Ashe and is guided by long time Head Coach Lanny Doan, along with Assistant Coach Cooper Browning.

“All the runners have the ability to contribute to the team’s success, ” Doan said.  “The team is ‘the deepest it’s ever been”. 

They said it: “We’re all so excited. Our majority freshman girls cross country team is looking forward to a long, healthy season! We’re especially committed this year to fostering a strong team culture based on respect for the sport. In addition, this year is special because we moved [classifications] into a more competitive one. We really want to advance to states again like the last few years and help as many people as possible PR! And of course we want everyone to have a good time,” Parker-Ashe said.

Key moment: The Falcons ran a two-mile timed trial with other southeastern Virginia teams at Bells Mill Park on Wednesday, August 14. The majority of the team ran new personal bests, ending with a few runners in the top 20 of their events.

Up next: The first official cross country race of the season will take place Thursday, August 29, at Norfolk Academy. The meet will start at 4 p.m.