Knights runners wrap up 2023 journey
Bryson City – The 2023 Robbinsville cross-country season will forever be looked back on as the year the reset button was pushed.
Sure, the usual improvements from its runners took place: pure and simple, if an athlete ends the season slower than where they began, it may be time to re-evaluate their endeavors.
But the year has been hampered by two glaring factors: a lack of roster depth and a head-coaching change during the summer, as Kaitlyn Carringer-Adams departed to coach the same program at Maryville (Tenn.) College, her alma mater.
Not that the new regime is out of its element: head coach Emily Wehr and assistant coach Jessica Wehr have a bountiful running background on their resume.
In fact, Wehr was a dual-sport runner in college; later, she collected a cool trio of national championships in the 2,000-meter, soft-sand beach run as a member of the Clearwater Beach (Fla.) Patrol.
So if sitting under the proverbial learning tree was not the issue for the team this year, what was?
That question may be left to ponder for years to come. Eight runners began the season on the roster; five competed at Saturday’s 1A Western Regional Meet – the state qualifier – at Kituwah Mound in nearby Swain County.
Of that, four were with the program when the season dawned.
“The season wrapped up with some more PRs (personal records) and strong finishes,” head coach Emily Wehr told The Graham Star. “We’re so proud of our high-school team, who refused to let tired bodies slow them down. They continued to work hard until the end and finished the season strong.”
Sophomore Abby Wehr was the lone Lady Knight to be issued a bib number at the meet; she went on to place 40th in a field of 103 girls race, roughly 4 ½ minutes behind regional champion Dvdaya Swimmer of Cherokee.
Four trudged through the course for the Robbinsville boys: Nathan Frederick, Austin Bohn, Zeb Stewart and Bruce Helms. Frederick and Bohn – both freshman – finished 42nd and 89th, respectively, while seniors Stewart and Helms were the 104th and 127th runners to check in at the finish line.
“Saturday’s race was bittersweet, knowing that it would be the last race for our seniors,” coach Wehr said. “We will miss them, but look forward to seeing what their futures hold. They have been great leaders for our team.
“The race was unconventional, with the girls running first followed by the boys race. Overall, this was a very fast race with a lot of incredibly talented runners on the course. Abby set her fourth PR of the season, shaved nearly four minutes off her time this year; Nathan set his third PR of the season; Austin joined the team late – but we were glad to have had him with us, as he shaved two minutes off his time this season.
“Bruce and Zeb both finished the season with their heads up. Throughout the season, Bruce cut nearly 5 ½ minutes off of his time, and Zeb shaved over four minutes off of his.”
Chalk up 2023 as a fresh start for Robbinsville cross country. Stewart and Helms are moving to the next chapter of their life; Frederick and Bohn have three more seasons ahead of them. Coming into the varsity ranks next year is a stacked, with athletes like Samuel Wachacha – who won the Smoky Mountain Conference individual boys championship this year – and a consistent top-10 girls finisher in Zaelyn Phillips all set to move up from middle school.
“The rest of our high school team will return next year and with their drive and ambition we know they will just continue to get better,” coach Wehr said. “We learned a lot as first-year coaches. Looking back, we would change how we did some things, while other things we felt worked really well. We’ve enjoyed getting to know all of our runners and have loved seeing them set and accomplish their goals. They have all improved this year and have the potential to keep getting better.
“We have a lot of talent on both our middle-school and high-school teams, which will be fun to watch develop. We’d love to see the 2024 season get off to an earlier start and be fully conditioned well before our races begin.
“We’ve got a great group of kids, and we’re glad to have had this opportunity to coach them.”