Fender led the CHS girls to regionals for first time since 2015; four more make the all-area team
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Audrey Fender is the LCR’s Runner of the Year. (MANDI SLOAN/Special to the Reporter)
Audrey Fender’s love for running can be traced back to a rewards system in fourth grade.
When she was at Summers Elementary School, students received tokens for running miles at recess. That wasn’t an easy chore for everyone, but it was for Fender.
“I was just bored so I just ran and I got the most out of the school for girls,” Fender said. “From there I was like, ‘Wow, I’m kind of good at this. I should keep doing it.’”
Fast forward five years later and Fender is already Columbia’s top runner on the cross country team. The freshman shaved her time over the course of the season by nearly three minutes and led the Lady Tigers to a ninth-place finish in District 1-3A, good enough to send the entire team to regionals for the first time since 2015.
Her accolades have earned her the honor of the Lake City Reporter’s Runner of the Year.
“She is incredible,” said Shelli Shoup, who stepped down as head coach after the season. “She’s probably one of the most amazing athletes I’ve ever coached. She is always on board as a team player and is always on board in obedience as to what the coach’s training is and what the team needs.”
Fender followed up her 27th-place finish in District 1-3A to run a season-best 21:49.72 at the Region 1-3A meet to place 48th. That time was a huge improvement from her first race of the season when she posted a 24:24 at the Cecil Field Summer Classic.
“When I first started I was excited for what was coming next in the season, but this cross country season was the best season ever,” Fender said. “I was just really surprised by how I ended the season. I didn’t think I could make it this far. Coach Shoup was a really good coach.”
Her freshman season also saw her nabbed two top-10 finishes, taking ninth at the Live Oak Twilight Invitational and a season-best sixth at the B3R Sports Invitational. Fender steadily dropped her time throughout the year, going from 24:24 to 23:15 just two weeks later at the Florida Horse Park Invitational and later lowering her time from 23:13 at the Alligator Lake XC Invitiational to 22:09 at Live Oak.
Fender finally got her time under 22 minutes at the B3R Sports Invitational, crossing the finish line at 21:53 in the final race before districts.
“My goals were to, of course, get faster,” Fender said. “That’s every runner’s goal, but every race I kept on getting faster and faster. My goal was to get faster and faster every race and get my personal record every time so I was really proud of that.”
Shoup and Fender have kept busy since the season ended, running in the Turkey Trot in Gainesville and Santa Run in Jacksonville. Fender placed second overall in the 14-year-old age group at the Turkley Trot.
The duo also run together every Sunday morning, starting at Winn Dixie and then making their way around parts of town. Fender is never done training, eyeing bigger goals heading into her sophomore year.
“Our goal for her is to be on the medal stand at state by the time she’s a senior,” Shoup said. “I feel like she’ll be a state qualifier as a sophomore and that is definitely our goal for her. But by the time she’s a senior, we want her to be on the medal at state.”
Fender still has some work to do to get there though. She was 33 spots and 1:08.22 away from qualifying for state individually as a freshman this season.
But don’t count Fender short. She’s no longer chasing tokens but she’s running full speed towards the state medal stand.
If her freshman season is any indication, she’ll be there sooner rather than later.
“I’m definitely striving for that position,” Fender said. “That would be crazy.”
ALL-AREA TEAM
Mackenzie Conklin, Columbia
Finished 78th in Region 1-3A with a season-best time of 22:49.6 after placing 50th in District 1-3A. Placed a season-best 17th at the Live Oak Twilight Invitational.
Alex McCollum, Columbia
Was the boys top runner, placing 33rd in District 1-3A with a season-best time of 17:26.40. Also placed 10th at the B3R Sports Invitational, Live Oak Twilight Invitational and TCA Invitational.
Suzannah Raines, Columbia
Finished 81st in Region 1-3A with a season-best time of 22:55.14 after placing 62nd in District 1-3A. Placed a season-best 20th at the Trinity Christian Academy Invitational.
Sarah Simpson, Columbia
Finished 60th in Region 1-3A with a season-best time of 22:17 after placing 39th in District 1-3A. Placed a season-best 10th at the B3R Sports Invitational.