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| Titan senior Remy Tamer competes. |
Both play a role in the world of high school cross country. But when the leaves change colors and the big meets arrive, the only one that matters is the latter.
Entering his 16th year of involvement with the West Forsyth cross country program, boys head coach Jeff Thompson has seen plenty of promising teams fall short in their quest for excellence. But if hard work is any indicator, he believes this year’s West boys and girls teams will avoid that fate.
Stocked with a combination of reliable experience and up-and-coming talent, both West teams are on the rise. But where they ultimately finish will depend largely on which underclassmen step forward as the season progresses.
“Both of our teams have strong leadership and excellent potential,” Thompson noted following a team workout on Monday afternoon. “But the question mark is about which of our young runners will step up and assert themselves as the season moves forward.
“I’ve been encouraged by what I’ve seen and we have a tremendous work ethic. Hopefully those two factors will translate into success.”
On the boys squad, West returns standouts Remy Tamer, Thomas Willauer and Michael Fowler. All three made the all-conference team last year and are assuming leadership roles this fall.
As for who will fill out the remaining four starting slots, West will turn to a host of underclassmen including Evan Fernandes, Jesse Crouch, Parker Mincey, Willy Huang, David Cason, Cody Motsinger, Nick Snow and Sean Auffinger.
On the Titan girls team, new coach Nate Newsome will have returning standouts Liz Stocksdale, Kara Jenkins, Ana Calles and Lauren McGirr back in the lineup. Stocksdale, a junior, won last week’s CPC meet against North Davidson and Davie County.
Like Jenkins and Calles, Allison Fairall is a returning senior who gives the Titans outstanding leadership.
Thompson said he is also excited about a group of underclassmen who “have as much potential as any we’ve had here in quite some time.” Newcomers like Brittany Felts and Taylor Billingsley could give West a great chance to qualify as a team for the state meet — a feat the Titans have been unable to pull off in the past seven years.
“It’s hard to predict who our top seven girls will be,” Thompson added. “But in terms of raw talent, they are loaded with potential.”