CROSS COUNTRY Runner Lisa Davies of West Branch continues to get better and better

By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
West Branch runner Lisa Davies had just finished 12th at the 2000 regional cross country race and she was tired. Injuries and fatigue had taken a toll. Davies needed to rely on her experience to get through the race.
Problem was, she didn't have any experience.
So, she took a risk instead. After training heavily all season -- her first in cross country -- Davies ran just three miles in the week before state to give her body a rest.
"I was so scared going into the race," she said. "I figured I would either do horrible and feel horrible, or do good and feel good."
Fourth: Surprisingly -- especially to Davies -- she ran the race of her life, finishing fourth in Division II at Scioto Downs in Columbus.
"I got to the 800 [meter] mark and I was still feeling pretty good," she said. "I was almost praying. I thought, 'I can't believe this is happening.' I was really surprised how I did."
Davies even finished ahead of regional champion Val Zajac, who took fifth.
"She kind of came out of nowhere," Zajac said. "She surprised everyone."
Since then, Davies hasn't surprised anyone.
"She's the best runner we've had here," said West Branch coach Kevin Buckley, in his seventh year. "I think she'll continue to get stronger. I don't think she's really reached her peak yet."
Won district: The Warrior junior won last week's district championship at Trumbull County Fairgrounds by 37 seconds over Zajac.
On Sept. 15, Davies finished second to Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy senior Amy Arnold at the Boardman Invitational. Boardman also is the site of Saturday's regional race.
Davies said Arnold -- who won state track championships in the mile and two mile last spring and will be at Boardman on Saturday -- is one of the three best runners.
Circleville senior Abbey Reeser and Beaumont sophomore Maggie Infeld are the others, she said. Reeser, Infeld and Arnold finished 1-2-3 at state last year.
Objectives: Davies' goals at state are to run under 19 minutes -- she ran 18:38 last year -- and finish in the top 12. That's just for starters, though. She also wants to win it.
"Yeah, I think about that," Davies said. "Anything's possible."
Especially at Scioto, a course she loves.
"She will be right in there in contention," Buckley said. "She has the ability. She's one of the most dedicated individuals I've ever been around. Physically, she may seem small and petite. But she has the heart of a tiger."
Versatile: Davies, a 4.0 student, played soccer from age 6 through her freshman year before turning to cross country. In track, she runs the mile and finished sixth in the two-mile at state last year. She runs very few indoor meets in the winter, choosing instead to swim and lift weights.
"She understands the importance of working hard and taking time off," Buckley said. "She is extremely competitive and uses her training as a basis for her success."
Davies, along with teammate Megan Cingcade, who took fourth at districts, has had plenty of success this year. The stage only gets bigger from here.
"I love big races," she said. "I like getting ready for big meets. I like tearing up the course, pushing my body until I feel tired. It gives me that runner's high."
scalzo@vindy.com