All grown up

Waynesboro cross country runner Edward Ennis has come a long way from the shy untested rookie he once was. The senior has gained more confidence as he has sprinted his way to lower times and was the only Southern Valley District runner to place in the top five at the Valley Invitational on Sept. 27. People are taking notice and his coaches from the past and the present are giving the runner props.

“Edward has always worked hard and will give you everything he’s got,” said former Giants cross country coach Ed Driskill. “The biggest key came in his sophomore year when he ran with Robert Fuller. They always ran together, I think that really helped Edward.”

Fuller ran the second fastest mile in Waynesboro High School history with a time of 4.25 Driskill said.

“His [Ennis] confidence just started to really grow.”

After Fuller moved on, Ennis used that competition as a springboard to come out of the shadows.

“Running with Fuller, it was competition,” Ennis said. “We would run half the distance in practice, but I would have to sprint the rest. Running with him really helped me get my stride down and become a more efficient runner.”

The start of his track career was shaky, but Ennis found his niche in his sophomore year.

“In my freshman year, I was running really slow,” Ennis said. “I was running like 24s, which is worse then average. Then, over the summer, in between my freshman and sophomore year, I improved a lot. I improved my stride and everything started clicking.”

The decrease in time proved that Ennis was on the right path.

During his sophomore season, he dropped his time to 19. Last year he reached 18:09 and this season clocked 17:35 during the Wilson Memorial Invitational on Sept. 20.

On the sidelines, Giants coach Julie Stevens has observed the senior’s work ethic during team practices at Ridgeview Park. That has been another catalyst in his achievements.

“It doesn’t matter if he’s at practice, he’s always working hard,” Stevens said. “He’s not one of those runners that are going to complain about whatever we are doing.”

Ennis has found more than his stride and his methods are simple. Before a meet, he will not talk to anyone and will listen to tunes to prepare for the contest.

“I just try to stay loose and stay calm by focusing on what I need to do to succeed,” Ennis said.

Ennis has carved a path of victory for himself. It has paid dividends for the Giants as they wrap up their regular-season.

The quiet runner who once lagged behind the pack has added new personal milestones for his purple and gold scrapbook this season. But it goes beyond the stopwatch.

“I do feel more confident when I race,” Ennis said.

He assured that his labor was not over.

“I’m pretty happy about my times. But I still have to keep working hard.”