COMMODORE MEDIA GROUP

The Tupelo Invitational is markedly one of the flattest cross country races in northern Mississippi; coupled with the early morning chill, the course was the perfect place for Lafayette’s cross country team to achieve peak performance. Running on high expectations, several runners earned a new personal record, including freshman Reed Jordan, who set Lafayette’s all time record for a 5k with a time of 17:43.

Lafayette’s success, however, was not a surprise to coach Brady Cairns: “We talk every week about how far this team has come since the summer . . . We have a strong group . . . that [is] only going to get stronger over the next month going into the state meet.”  

This strength is evident in the team’s fresh wave of young runners, who are steadily building a promising foundation for the years ahead. Among the athletes forging the path are Jordan, who has lead the varsity boys team with sub-twenty times in the past four meets, and eighth grader Willow Noble, who was assigned to the varsity girls team after displaying standout times in practice and previous races; at Tupelo, Noble led the team with a new personal record of 24:23.

“When you see moments like Reed Jordan breaking the school record, twice now, as just a freshman and several middle schoolers coming close to breaking the [middle school] records as well, you can’t help but be excited about the potential on this team,” Cairns commented.

The coaches’ hopes are not far from fruition: after coming out of their first two meets in first place, Lafayette’s middle school boys team took home second place at the Saltillo Invitational, with five runners finishing in the top twenty. Finishing strong at Tupelo among a field of over 150 competitors, Jovie Loprinzi took 17th place for the middle school girls, while Kiplin Loprinzi, Jesse Dawson, and Gabriel Pierce finished in 11th, 16th, and 20th place, respectively, competing against over 200 runners in the middle school boys race.

These emerging athletes are not the only ones adjusting to their roles in the spotlight; both Cairns and Austin Howell joined three-year coach Tracy Varner at the start of the summer with intentions of remaining for future seasons.  Determined to ensure Lafayette’s success in the long run, the coaches have adopted a new and more calculated approach to the runners’ training that they are relying on for strong performances at the MHSAA State Championships in November.

“When you’re out racing, it’s so easy to get lost in the shuffle,” said Cairns. “Teams that end up finding the most success are able to move in a pack and maintain a group pace instead of relying on lead runners to score well. It’s a team sport at the end of the day and every placement counts, so we’re working on that every single day.”

With little more than a month until the State Championships, Lafayette is scheduled to travel to Olive Branch for the Mustang Stampede Invitational on October seventh. The first race is set to begin at 8:30 a.m.