Extreme Weather Testing Weddington's Resolve

Southeast No. 3 boys cross country team one of many in the Carolinas aiming to move past excessive heat and Hurricane Florence

By Mary Albl of DyeStat

A promising start to the boys cross country season at Weddington High in suburban Charlotte, N.C. has been singed by heat and pummeled by a hurricane. 

Flooding from Hurricane Florence, which ravaged the eastern half of North Carolina over the weekend, has caused school to be closed so far this week. 

Weddington coach Rick Spencer said the Mathews, N.C. area experienced some moderate winds, 30-35 miles per hour, and some rain. Over the weekend, as the slow-moving storm hit, 12 inches of rain fell, mostly Sunday between 4 a.m. and 4 p.m. 

Roads closed. Trees were downed. Bridges were damaged. 

And this was three hours west of the hardest-hit areas near Wilmington, on the Carolina coast.  

“We definitely didn't have the devastation that they are dealing with in the eastern part of the state, but it has had an impact on our practicing,” Spencer said. 

Weddington's boys were preseason No. 3 in the Southeast region after returning all seven runners from the squad that was runner-up in the North Carolina Class 3A state final.  

In its first full-throttle action of the season, the Warriors scored 45 points to win Friday Night Lights, in Kernersville. Weddington's top five all ran under 16:24 for 5,000 meters. 

But it hasn't been an easy go, even before the hurricane created a wrench into the schedule. 

"Our school system has put heat restrictions on us and we haven't been able to run more than 15 minutes at a time any day in the past three weeks, if we run after school," Spencer said. "It has been definitely less than ideal, and this hurricane turned things a little haywire as well."

The school follows guidelines established throughout the state and other parts of the Southeast designed to protect athletes from the combination of heat and humidity. A Code Yellow heat index (91-103 degrees) means athletes can practice only 20 minutes at a time with five-minute breaks. A Code Red (104-124) means 15 minutes max with five-minute breaks. (Code Black is the highest level and outdoor activity is not allowed). 

"Humidity is rough here," Spencer said. "Almost every day for the first three weeks of school we had a Code Red. A couple of days, Code Yellow."

If Weddington is able to get in practices this Thursday and Friday, that will be just four outside practices in four weeks of school. 

"It hasn't been perfect," Spencer said. "And I thought that it really needed to be perfect to get the things accomplished that we wanted. This summer it was good, but it wasn't exactly perfect. Our girls team has really been banged up (all summer). Our boys have been good over the summer. And then moving into these first couple meets, things have gone really well for us. So I think I was a little more worried than I should have been."

Seniors Kyle Durham, William Mazur, Jackson O'Hara and Stephen Larson have been joined by talented freshman Nate Jaster, who ran 15:57 at Friday Night Lights to finish fourth overall.

Jaster has emerged as one of the fastest freshmen in the country this fall.  

“It’s been really great that he can jump right in there and he’s right with our guys,” Spencer said. 

Weddington was scheduled to run at the adidas XC Challenge in Cary, N.C. last Saturday, but the meet was cancelled.

This weekend, the team has the Hare and Hounds Invitational at McAlpine Park in Charlotte, if the course is in shape. As of Monday, much of the park was under water.

Spencer is frank about the impact of the weather on the season so far. But stories like a voluntary 6:15 a.m. practice where 55 of 58 kids showed up have been encouraging and reveal a spirit of commitment. 

"It's definitely a setback, undeniably when you can’t get together and run with your team, or your coach,” Spencer said. “It takes extra effort to get out there and run, when it’s not just expected you do that after school. Getting on the starting line knowing that you put in extra, I think that means something.”