C.E. BYRD'S ANNA LAKE WATTS CRUISES TO WIN SATURDAY AT C.E. BYRD XC INVITE
After picking up the first cross country win of her career last Saturday at the Cedar Creek Invitational, C.E. Byrd's Anna Lake Watts made it two in a row by winning the girls' division at the C.E. Byrd XC Invitational on Saturday at South Bossier Park.
Watts won in convincing fashion on Saturday after narrowly defeating teammate Emmy Banker seven days earlier.
"This course is so familiar to us," Watts said. "The weather was better this time around. I felt so much better. I felt like there was a fire inside of me. I wanted it really badly. And I wanted it by a larger margin than last week. I felt good the whole race. I was happy with it."
Not only did Watts pick up her second straight win, but the Lady Jackets came away with the team's second straight win as well. However, when it comes to her team and the legacy she wants to leave behind, times and first-place trophies are secondary to the relationship with her teammates.
"They're great," Watts said of her Lady Jackets teammates. "The one thing that I hope to leave is not a time or the place that you get. The human that you are. The way you treat each other, and the way you show up for each other over and over again. That is what makes it so special. The time and place really doesn't matter in the long run."
"They're great! The one thing that I hope to leave is not a time or the place that you get. The human that you are. The way you treat each each other, and the way you show up for each other over and over again. That is what makes it so special. The time and the place really doesn't matter in the long run."
Anna Lake Watts, C.E. Byrd junior
Although it's not the most important thing, winning is still fun...especially when you've had to overcome some adversity to get there.
"Last year, the joke was that I was getting runner-up over and over again," Watts said. "This year, it is fun to finally win some and let my hard work show. It has not been an easy ride. There are a lot of battles I've had to overcome. I'm grateful that it is showing...all the hard work I've put in."
St. Frederick freshman Rachel Hill was the runner-up in the girls' division with a 19:30. Banker (19:39) was third.
Alexandria Senior High's Clark Wright (16:08) won the boys' division moving past Providence Classical Academy's Baxter Carroll (16:34) when Carroll lost a shoe in the late stages of the race. Caddo Magnet's Jack Patillo (16:12) was the runner-up.
Wright's win was not quite enough to lead ASH to the team win. PCA scored 54 points, winning the boys' division by a one point margin.
READ MORE: Byrd's 1-2 Punch Leads Lady Jackets to Win at Cedar Creek