Will Bradbury running in a conference matchup. Photo Credit: Sydney Moretz, Watauga Yearbook.
Junior Will Bradbury has set the tone for Watauga Cross Country this season, stampeding through finish lines against fierce competition. A constantly improving runner on the Varsity Cross Country team, Bradbury has already made an impact that has positioned his team for first place in the Northwestern 4A Conference.
“For the first time in a couple of years, we have a solid upperclassman roster with lots of experience on the Varsity team,” said Bradbury. “But we also have a couple of underclassmen who are really progressing and are still learning how to competitively race at the high school level”.
Bradbury has seen success recently, breaking his own personal record (PR) of 15:49 minutes for a 5K race. This record time has thrust him into regional-qualifying standings, rising above even some of the best runners in the area.
“It felt really good to PR at Adidas [a recent Invitational meet]. We all knew going in that the course is known for being fast and the meet brings in lots of good competition, so it really felt like a great opportunity to put down a good time,” said Bradbury. “It would have felt like a wasted opportunity had I not ‘PRed,’ so when I saw the clock, I was just happy that I had done what I came to do and had a good showing at the race.”
Bradbury’s run was an intense race to the finish line, being surpassed by competitors early on. Bradbury would keep in stride until the 3-mile mark, where he took the lead.
“At about 1/2 mile in, the other boys in the front kind of all fell in behind me and forced me to lead the race for basically the entire thing,” said Bradbury.
However, he had competition from other runners pushing for first. In the end, it came down to .2 seconds between Bradbury and the race’s second-place finisher.
“At about the 3-mile mark, I retook the lead and held it to the finish from there,” said Bradbury.
Kade Maiden, senior, was thrilled for Bradbury to achieve this elite performance. Maiden is one of the many older influences that have pushed him to be better.
“Seeing such a great runner run makes me proud to know him as a person. He's a joy to watch, and he is only getting better,” said Maiden.
The junior star has elevated expectations for himself and the team as they move further into the season. Bradbury's goals are much higher than a Northwestern Conference Championship; they are to seek a state title.
“I think the team is extremely capable of going deep into the Cross Country championship season this year,” said Bradbury. “By Conference and Regionals, I fully expect the team to be reaching its potential and the combination of veterans and younger runners trying to make a statement and a splash will position us well to beat a couple of teams we aren't seated to [beat] going in and make a run at the state championship.”
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