Woodbridge High School - Valhalla Yearbook (Woodbridge, VA)

Page 26 text:

Many runners try to keep pace with John Henry in the district meet. Members of the cross country team display their state trophy. Hard work earns Darryl Wilson third place in the state meet. State champ, John Henry makes winning look easy against G-F. Not sure whether to run with the leaders or lag behind and save my strength, I stayed with some guy from Oakton who looked pretty fast. We were in the middle of the herd. All of a sudden I felt a sharp pain in my ribs. The Oakton runner had just given me an elbow. That made me mad. I was determined to burn this turkey now! He was pretty fast and on one of the curves he slipped in front of me. He began to pull away. He was about 10 yards ahead of me, but we came to a hill and he began to slow down. Here’s where those hills helped in practice. I sped past him like he was standing still. We knifed through the woods and he tried to pass, but I managed to stay ahead. As I passed the coach he smiled, so I figured I was doing something right. With a mile left, my legs began to tighten up. My calves were heavy and my feet felt like lead. Worst of all, the guy was on my tail! Finally, I could see the finish line. I felt the Oakton runner begin to kick. With arms flailing and knees driving, I sprinted to¬ ward the finish. My lungs were about to burst; my vision was blurred. As I crossed the line, a feeling of relief, no, satisfaction, came over me. In CC there are two opponents — the other team and the course itself. I was tired — too tired to walk and too tired to sit. My throat was too dry to swallow, but I was happy ... 22

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5,000 Miles On One Pair of Shoes Val Hardin pushes Stonewall runner to the limit. The 1973 State Champion Cross Country Team. Streams of sunlight dotted the over¬ cast sky. The sun was trying to burst through the gray ceiling. I was really nervous standing on the line waiting for my last big meet, the state cham¬ pionship. My mind began to wander back to how it all began . . . . . . June; Halleluia, school ' s out. Man just think, Cross Country season is just three months away. I didn ' t really do too well last season; guess I didn ' t try hard enough, but that was last year and this year I ' m gonna do better — a lot better. That is how it all started; it seems like only yesterday that I stumbled into the locker room after the first practice.. . “OOOh man! I said to some foot¬ ball players. “19 miles the first day. It was one of Coach Jim Rodgers ' killer work outs. I had thought I was sore after the first day, but I found I was “dying on the second and “dead on the third! Even though I ' d run 500 miles over the summer and thought I was in shape, I found out I ' d been kidding myself about how tough Cross Country at WSHS was. ... I wished they ' d hurry up and start this dumb race. My stomach felt like I had swallowed a fish and he was swimming around down there. I remembered the first time I had that fishy feeling; it was my first Varsity Race against Oakton . . . It was a hot day, a good one for running. Oakton was a tough team and I was scared stiff. I stepped up to the starting line. Suddenly, I had the urge to go to the bathroom. Should I go? No, better not. Not enough time. After what had seemed an eternity, the race got under way. Mike Cobb shows look of determination as he competes with other runners. 21

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WSHS Runs Away With 2nd Gene Johnson does the “hustle” in a meet against Osbourn. Jimmy Sayler struggles to surpass district competition. Don Lisenbee takes advantage of the green grass and a break. Woodbridge stampedes off the line against dis¬ trict opponent s. State Title “Take your sweats off, ” said the starter. It was almost time. I looked over at the coach. He was standing in the crowd. His tall thin frame undistinguishable in the crowd of coaches. I knew what this man had meant to me and the team. He was CC at WSHS. Without him there would be nothing — no un¬ beatable team and no State Cham¬ pionship. His influence was more than coaching; he was a wise and kindly man. “Bang!” . . . the gun sounded and we were on our way to our second CC Championship. 23