TikTok成人版 All-Area Girls Cross Country Team
Laurel Highlands鈥� Baker shines as Runner of the Year
Eleanor Bailey | For the TikTok成人版
Isabella “Bella” Baker steadily improved each year of her cross country career before breaking out during her senior year at Laurel Highlands.
The Davis & Elkins College commit won the Fayette County Coaches Association (FCCA) Cross Country Championship placed fifth in the WPIAL in Class 2A with a time of 19:37 before finishing just shy of the medal stand in 34th place at the state meet on the difficult Parkview Cross Country Course in Hershey. Baker clocked in with a time of 20:41 at states.
Baker was third among WPIAL runners at the state meet and finished third at the A.J. Everhart Invitational.
For her efforts this season, Baker has been selected as the Runner of the Year on the TikTok成人版 All-Area Girls Cross Country Team.
“What really brought success to me this year was that I just went out and ran my race,” Baker said. “I didn’t worry about the people around me. Of course, I wanted to win, but I didn’t deviate from my race strategy.”
Baker runs middle distance in track, but she put in the miles this year to build up her base for her final cross country season in high school.
“I was running about 40 to 50 miles a week this year,” Baker said. “Last year, I was running about 25 per week. I did the majority of my runs on our school campus, which features a number of hills. I would also run on trails if I had the opportunity. We did run a race on our home course, which has become the norm for most schools, but we use our course to prepare for races that are hilly.”
The WPIAL championships are run at White Oak Park, which is primarily flat and has quicker times, but state qualifiers from District 7 must prepare for a difficult course at Hershey in nine days after the WPIAL finals.
A fast start in the state meet is necessary to avoid getting boxed in among the 249 runners in the race, but can also be dangerous if a competitor goes out too quickly.
Baker had the speed but she was aware of the potential of going out too hard.
“It is tough to start so fast and then go right to those hills, but I do think the adrenaline rush at the beginning of the race helps carry you alone,” Baker said. “It was a bittersweet feeling knowing the state meet was my final time running cross country in high school. I was also hoping to get into the top 25, but I was still happy with my effort and season.”
Before she heads to Elkins, W.Va., for college, Baker will compete in the indoor and outdoor track seasons. She has a goal of qualifying for the state meet in the spring, but track & field consists of two classifications, and Laurel Highlands is placed in Class 3A, which makes hitting the state-qualifying-standard or being an automatic qualifier a huge challenge.
“I know it will be tough to qualify for states in track with just two qualifications and the amount of quality distance runners in the WPIAL, but if I put in the work before the season, I believe it is something I can accomplish,” said Baker.
Top 7
Belle Vernon’s Brooklyn Steeber; Connellsville’s Abigail Zavatchan; Geibel Catholic’s Emma Larkin; Laurel Highlands’ Bella Baker and Taylor Schwertfeger; Uniontown’s Charley Murtha and Arrington Scott.
Second group of 7
Belle Vernon’s Delaney Fretts, Bella Tatar and Lily Walsh; Connellsville’s Addison Lane; and Uniontown’s Kiley Abbott, Hannah Foster and Paisley Murtha.
Coach of the Year: Joe Everhart, Uniontown
The longtime coach guided the Lady Red Raiders to a section championship and had one state qualifier in Murtha. Uniontown also ran without Foster for the postseason, as she was injured prior to the county meet.