Fulk holds on to crown

WEYERS CAVE – As a junior last season, Fort Defiance’s Whitney Fulk kept a senior off the district’s top spot.

This year, she had to hold off a freshman to score the repeat.

Fulk, who crossed into the chute at the 20-minute, 15-second mark on her home course at the Weyers Cave Community Center, pushed away from Waynesboro freshman Meredith Figgatt halfway through the race to score her second straight Southern Valley District cross country title Wednesday.

“Whitney ran really well, smart and patient,” Fort coach Dave Stewart said. “And that’s key.”

With fans lining the chute, Fulk turned the corner into the straightaway to cheers with Figgatt too far back to make any move. Fulk crossed the line and wobbled a bit as she grabbed her card, stopping to slump down before regaining herself, putting her hands on her hips and exiting the chute to the waiting arms of her 6-year-old cousin, Mariah Justice.

The two hugged and Justice, red-faced and smiling under her hoodie, slapped her little hands together in applause.

It was a bit of redemption for Fulk who fell to the Little Giants’ star in the making at the Augusta County Invitational earlier in the season. Her problem at that meet was simple – she got out too fast. She wasn’t going to let it happen this time.

“Coach [Dave] Stewart told me, ‘Don’t go crazy this time,’ ” said Fulk, still trying to catch her breath. “That was really the only strategy I had. From that point on, I focused on the race and going for the win.”

It was a formula that worked for Fulk, who pumped her legs over the finish line 36 seconds ahead of Figgatt.

“She executed the game plan and was much stronger in the middle, and that’s where she started to pull away,” Stewart said.

Figgatt, still brace-faced and small-voiced, didn’t mind coming in second one bit.

“[Fulk] deserves it,” Figgatt said. “She’s really good. She’s really nice. I’m not upset at all about finishing second.”

The Indians also picked up the team title, giving coach Dave Stewart his fourth straight district title in three different sports. A Stewart-led Indian squad won the inaugural Southern Valley meet last season and he followed up with indoor and outdoor track titles before Wednesday’s addition to the trophy case.

A solid pack attack helped him along the way.

After Figgatt crossed the chute and hugged Fulk, Indians Faith Lucas (third, 21:30) and Annie Shreckhise (fourth, 21:39) were quick to join her. A 13th-place finish from Morgan Alexander (22:39) and a 17th-place finish from Bethany Reitz wrapped up the title for the Indians.

“Shreckhise had just a great race today,” Stewart said. “She tough.”

The Indians’ 38 points put them 19 ahead of second-place Waynesboro, which, after Figgatt, snuck in Vicki Andersen (fifth, 21:43), Aubrey Simonsen (ninth, 22:13), Jennah Gnann (16th, 23:09) and Kylie Roberts in 25th with a time of 24:26.

Stuarts Draft finished third with 68 points with Caroline Perkins (seventh, 22:05), Contessia Deavers (eighth, 22:08) and Jessica Miller (12th, 22:37) leading the way.

R.E. Lee finished last behind Rockbridge, but Elizabeth Goodloe (sixth, 21:57) and Felicia Shifflett (10th, 22:19) both scored berths to the Oct. 30 Region III meet at the same location.

But the talk heading into that meet will be if Fulk, who after finishing 60th at the Group AA meet last season, can score another state bid and win the big one in her last try ala Buffalo Gap’s Mariah Hagadone.

“She can’t go out patient [at the state meet],” Stewart said. “She’s going to have to go out hard and hang on.”

Also on fans’ minds will be if Figgatt, as a freshman, can make some noise on the big stage at Great Meadow.

“She’s going to be number one in the next three years,” said Waynesboro coach Julie Stevens said. “I know that for a fact.”