-
Columbia’s Audrey Fender is the LCR’s Girls Runner of the Year. (MANDI SLOAN/Special to the Reporter)
Audrey Fender burst on the scene as a freshman for Columbia, proving she was the team’s top runner in just a short amount of time.
She only improved upon her first campaign with another stellar season as a sophomore.
Fender rocketed towards the front of the line at the District 2-3A meet at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, topping last year’s 27th-place finish to take sixth to qualify for regionals once again. It also included a season-best time of 21:23.60, an improvement from her lowest as a freshman of 21:49.72.
It’s why Fender is once again the LCR’s Girls Runner of the Year.
“My district race was my best race,” Fender said. “I love that course. When we were at the starting line I knew it was going to be a good race. It just felt good. The weather was good, the course was good, so it felt like a good race and it ended up being my best race.”
Then came regionals and Fender admits she was a little under the weather. Her time rose to 22:04.30 and she placed 36th, coming up short of making it to the state meet.
“I was hoping to go to state but at regionals I was a little congested and sick, so I didn’t run my best race,” Fender said.
Still, it was another impressive season by Fender. She won the Bradford County Invitational and Tiger Run, while placing second at the Suwannee County Invitational and third at the Bobcat Classic.
Fender posted times of under 22 minutes in five of her eight races. Even in victories, Fender says she’s more focused on her times than anything.
“It doesn’t matter about winning,” Fender said. “It matters about how I actually ran because the races I won were small meets but it matters how I ran. I ran those meets very strong, so that’s what I’m proud of.”
Columbia coach Lawrence Davis pointed to Fender’s work ethic for her improvement this season. That includes away from the team as well as Fender would spend mornings before school getting in a run when she could.
“Audrey is a very, very hard worker and I think she’s dedicated,” Davis said. “She works harder than any of the other girls and I think that shows in her performances.”
Davis was impressed with Fender’s performances throughout the season and believes she built upon her success as a freshman. Fender had two top-10 finishes as a freshman and drove her time down from as high as 24:24 to 22:09.
Getting under 22 minutes was obviously a goal this season. The next step is getting even faster to make it past regionals, maybe even to the point of breaking Bridget Morse’s school record of 18:31.
“I believe Audrey initially set a high bar last year because of the potential and I think this year the high bar that was set for her was actually achievable,” Davis said. “I think she’s actually going to continue to improve as long as she continues to work hard. I think her accomplishments this year solidified herself as the girls number one runner on the team and we look forward to her continuing to get stronger and faster. And I believe she is a viable candidate to break the school’s record if she continues on the pace she’s at next year.”
Fender would love to achieve that. But her number one goal is to match Morse with a state appearance before she graduates.
She’d love to do it in her junior year.
“My goal next season is to go to state and do my best there,” Fender said. “And hopefully be stronger and faster.”
ALL-AREA TEAM
Audrey Fender
Columbia, sophomore
The LCR’s Girls Runner of the Year ran a season-best 21:23.60 to place sixth at the District 2-3A meet before going on to finish 36th at regionals (22:04.30). She also won the Bradford County Invitational and Tiger Run, placed second at the Suwannee County Invitational and took third at the Bobcat Classic.
Mackenzie Conklin
Columbia, senior
Ran a season-best 22:42.00 to place third at the Suwannee County Invitational. Also placed second at the Bradford Invitational and went on to place 20th in District 2-3A (23:20.73) to qualify for the Region 1-2A Meet, where she finished 77th (24:10.20).
Kayla Desmartin
Branford, senior
Ran a season-best 23:09.35 to place 46th in Region 2-1A after finishing 14th in District 5-1A (23:24.60), which helped the Lady Buccaneers place second to send the team to regionals. She also placed fifth at the Tiger Run and sixth at the Suwannee County Invitational.
Kyla Desmartin
Branford, senior
Ran a season-best 21:21.00 to win the Suwannee County Invitational and also placed fourth at the Tiger Run. She placed eighth in District 5-1A (22:32.50) and 26th in Region 2-1A (21:40.134).
Kalyn Osgood
Branford, 7th grade
Ran a season-best 22:24.40 to place 37th in Region 2-1A after finishing 11th in District 5-1A (22:49.80). Her top meet of the season came at the Tiger Run, where she placed third, and she also took 10th a the Suwannee County Invitational.
Nellie Lamb
Suwannee, junior
Ran a season-best 23:05.10 at the Region 1-2A Meet to place 44th (23:05.10) after finishing eighth in District 2-2A. She led the Lady Bulldogs to a third-place finish at districts that sent the entire team to regionals.
Maddie McMillan
Suwannee, freshman
Ran a season-best 23:33.20 at the Region 1-2A Meet to place 48th after finishing ninth in District 2-2A. Her top finish of the season came at the Bradford Invitational, where she placed third, and she also took 10th at the Tiger Run.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Michelle Richards
Branford
Her Lady Buccaneers were runners-up in District 5-1A and placed eighth at regionals. Three runners placed top 14 at districts and she oversaw the fastest time in the area when Kyla Desmartin won the Suwannee County Invitational (21:21).