Bayne leads the way

Friday’s first-place finish was just one of many Eastern View’s Charlie Bayne has racked up this season, but it may have been the most special because it came with a little added measure of revenge.

Bayne crossed the finish line just one second before Spotsylvania’s Tony McBride — the only runner to have beaten Bayne this year — as Eastern View’s cross country team hosted a tri-meet against the Knights and Caroline.

“That felt really good,” Bayne said. “At the end of the race he (McBride) said I ruined his perfect season and that feels good because he ruined mine too.”

Despite being slowed by a cold, Bayne finished the race in impressive fashion — clocking in at 16:26 with McBride nipping at his heels at 16:27.

“I feel pretty good with how I ran,” Bayne said. “Going into the race, I wasn’t sure how I was going to do because I was sick last week. I didn’t know if my body would be able to handle it, but I just went with how I felt and it turned out.”

Spotsylvania’s boys team won Friday’s meet with a score of 23, while the Cyclones finished second with a 38 and Caroline didn’t field enough runners to qualify.

Eastern View’s Jeffrey Thelin (17:21) finished fourth, followed by Taylor Martin (18:10) in 11th and Patrick Wallach (19:04) in 15th.

The Knights also won the girls meet with an 18, followed by Caroline with a 40 and Eastern View didn’t field enough runners to qualify.

The Cyclones top female runners were Hannah Guinn, who finished ninth in 26:50, and Bria West, who finished 10th in 27:13.

“We’ve worked really hard as a team this year,” Bayne said. “I have really stepped up my training just like everyone else, and it’s really showing.”

Bayne — a junior — is averaging right around 17:00 this year, with his best time of the season being 16:20.

“Last year, he didn’t really know how to run,” EVHS coach Paul Lutz said. “He would just go out and run hard. There was no strategy to it, but this year we’ve worked on how to strategize and you can tell he’s thinking about a race while running.”

The Cyclones’ are currently sitting in fourth place in the Battlefield District thanks in large part to Bayne.

“He definitely leads by example,” Lutz said. “Finishing No. 1 in all these meets makes him a very strong lead runner.”

Before the season, Lutz predicted Bayne would be one of the district’s top runners, and that’s been the case so far.

Coming into next week’s district meet Bayne is neck and neck with the likes of McBride, Mike Weller of Chancellor and Culpeper’s Colton Elliott to see who the Battlefield’s top runner is, according to Lutz.

“We’re going in with one goal in mind: For him (Bayne) to win the district,” Lutz said. “He’s going to have to run a smart race, but we have faith in him.”

Chasing the storm?

What: Battlefield District Cross Country meet

When: Wednesday at 5 p.m.

Where: Loriella Park, Fredericksburg