At the 31st Annual Erin L. Nance Fall Distance Classic, over 600 athletes ran the London Country Club course in honor of a fallen member of the fraternity of runners.  Racing in the name of London High School athletic director Terry Nance’s late daughter, the individual athletes came together to compete in a tribute to the running spirit.  In the cool of the October morning’s embrace, many came away with trophies and personal bests, lasting memories and some disappointments, strengthened friendships and a better understanding of themselves as runners and people.  Two London High School runners in particular carried themselves as unique representatives of the running community. 

Senior David Lynch, outgoing and energetic, leads the London men’s team with excitement and a sense of adventure. Coming off of a knee injury that curtailed much of his summer training, Dave seems to fear nothing.  “They had to use this thirteen gauge needle to drain the blood from my knee,” he says with glowing eyes as he talks about the long process of bouncing back from injury.  

Now that the healing process is through, London coach Tom Thorpe sees Dave’s competitive spirit carrying him far.  Thorpe says that, “when competing in 5k road races together, it often becomes a contest between the two of us, who would be faster that given day.”  With what sounds like parental pride, Thorpe says that Dave has to earn it if he’s going to beat his coach head-to-head.  This pride comes with good reason. Dave’s freshman year was Coach Thorpe’s first year with the team, and Thorpe has been able to watch as Dave grew into the senior that he is today.  “Amazing,” Thorpe says of the four year transformation.  Once an underclassman who wouldn’t wash his uniform when he was racing well (as a superstition, it wasn’t so good and didn’t last long), Dave now meditates during his warm-ups to prepare himself for his races in this final season with the London team.  It’s been a great four years for Dave, and his coach smiles as he looks back on the years.  “He’s the only one that I’ve had for all four years,” Coach Thorpe says of the senior. “That’s something special.”

Shyly reserved, junior team leader Susanna Kennedy follows in the footsteps of her sister.  “She ran, so I started running,” she says.  Sue has earned her own name as a runner, now, though.  As a member of the London varsity, she helped the team win a bittersweet conference team title last year.  Due to the lack of enough full team squads in the conference, though, the team’s championship title was taken away.  “There was a lot of crying,” Sue says of the incident. “We want to win again.”  Her competitiveness shines as she talks about races like conference and her favorite meet, the Watkins Invitational.  Sue wants to see her team on top.  “She is always a hard worker,” Coach Thorpe says of her. “She’s really emerged as a leader this season. And she keeps things fun.”  Fun is one thing Sue injects a lot of into her team.  Though a seemingly quiet girl, Sue’s sense of humor is evident as she laughs about wanting to “pimp her ride” and to race around in one of the country club’s golf carts.  “It’s fun,” she says in her understated way as she sums up why she loves being a part of the London team.

           While Sue will be running the paths of the London Country Club as a senior next year, Dave will find himself far from home.  Dave wants to serve a greater good. In fact, he feels that it’s his duty, and he will be joining the Navy after graduation.  “They put their lives on the line so that we can live free,” he says.  This noble spirit of loyalty and allegiance reflects the team atmosphere that Sue and Dave are such a part of. Team dinners at the Slagle’s are a highlight that both runners rave about, and both prefer to talk about their team as a whole rather than focusing on themselves. Sharing the bonds of the miles run as a team, the London cross country runners have come together into a team of strong individuals. 

Sue and Dave were two more faces in the mass of runners that toed the line at the Erin L. Nance invitational.  However for those that have met them, coached them, or been their teammate, they stood out. They are more than leaders; they are a shining example of why 600 runners laced up their shoes last Saturday morning.

Pimp this ride?

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