Fueling her competitive drive
Sophomore Carrie Fish leads the way for girls cross country team
Making her way over a ditch in her sophomore year, Carrie Fish led the way for all varsity girls 5A and under in the Southlake Invitational. Fish finished the course in 19:17:54
First place at the Gerald Richey Invitational, the FISD Invitational, the McKinney Boyd meet and the Southlake Invitational. Runner of the Week the week on Texas MileSplit. Homecoming court Dutchess.
This is the life of sophomore runner Carrie Fish as she competes in the District 10-5A cross country meet Tuesday morning at Warren Park
One of the fastest 5A runners in the area, Fish already has a long history in sports.
Along with being one of top 5A cross country runners in the area, sophomore Carrie Fish was also elected part of the 2015 Homecoming Court as she and Shane Bugni were the Dutch and Dutchess.
“Athletics has been a significant part of her ever since she was 7 yrs old,” mom Pam Fish said. “She started playing soccer and basketball at 7. She played basketball through 8th grade and continues to play soccer. Cross country started to take on more time early this year when she started focusing on her training in late spring.”
Teammate Kendall Rose has known Fish since middle school and has seen the improvement.
“Her mile time has dropped a ton, her 5k time is getting better every single week,” Rose said. She’s really getting out there and making something out of herself.”
Fish loves to run and is focused on being the best she can be.
“I run everyday in the mornings with school, then on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Sundays I run extra on my own,” Fish said. “My favorite part are the meets and getting to feel the competitive drive inside of me.”
Her teammates recognize this competitive drive.
“She doesn’t slack off any day,” Rose said. “She knows that she wants to get better personally, and with that, she helps all of us because we all want to try and get better too. She really pushes what we do as well as what she does.”
Her coach is also very proud of her performance.
“Carrie has done a great job this season at really learning her pace and dedicating herself to Cross Country,” girls head coach Amanda Byers said. “She is passionate about the sport and it shows in her running. Her work ethic is incredible.”
Getting ready for big events, Fish still has moments of anxiety.
The start of a cross country meet can be chaotic as more than a hundred runners are often competing. But regardless of what the start is like, sophomore Carrie Fish usually finds her way to the front as she has won several meets this year.
“Carrie will get nervous around some events, typically she get very focused as a big game/meet approaches,” mom Pam said. “The best thing we do is we tend to leave her alone and let her focus. We typically just encourage her to give her best effort and be aggressive in any sporting event she participates in. The closer the event gets, the quieter we become.”
Although she struggles with nervousness before events, in practice it’s a different story.
“She’s very goofy and she always has a very positive vibe out there; she’s dancing, yelling and she’s really vocal,” Rose said. “She pushes everybody, everyday, so it’s good having her out there.”
At home on a cross country course, Fish is finds her support at home.
“We believe our family provides a great support system,” mom Pam said. “We cheer her on the events, also talk to her about practices/training and we travel to many parts of the metroplex so she can train with many of the friends she has met through cross country. The family supports Carrie in her efforts but just as important, Carrie supports her brother and sister in their athletic efforts.”
It’s a system that Fish appreciates.
“My family and friends are very supportive,” Fish said. “They always wish me good luck.”
Sarah Philips is a senior and highly involved in the school. She has competed in UIL Journalism all four years of high school, and placed fifth in News...
