Bayne on the fast track

Jason Simcoe / Culpeper Star Exponent
Published: October 31, 2007

Last fall, a wide-eyed eighth-grader showed up at Culpeper cross country practice. Charlie Bayne wasn't sold on running, but he wanted something to do after school. He figured he'd give it a shot.

But from the moment he started training regularly with the Blue Devils, Bayne kept improving. Every week, he seemed to get faster.

Now, as a freshman, he's an all-district runner.

"It was a great day for me," Bayne said of the district meet. "I was expecting to do as good as I possibly could. Coach told us not to run for time, run for place."

It didn't seem like a great day for running. The course was wet. The footing was bad.

But Bayne knew he had to step up. He may be a freshman, but it was the Cedar Run District meet. It was do-or-die time.
And Bayne delivered big time. He shook off the pressure and finished 14th, earning all-district honors and propelling the Blue Devils to a fourth-place team finish. The top four teams advance to the regional championships.

"I just ran as hard as I could, I guess," Bayne said. "If we didn't, we'd be done."

Bayne's time - he covered the 5,000-meter course in 17:53 - was a personal best by almost a half minute. He'd been slowly getting faster and faster all season and at the district meet, everything came together. The 18-minute barrier is a big one for high school runners. Cracking it as a freshman is rare.

"You see it on occasion, but really only by the guys who have the potential to be elite runners," CCHS coach Kim Williams said. "I'd put Charlie in that category."

Running is a sport of patience. It takes time for athletes to adapt to high school training. It's rare to see freshmen excelling at the top level of varsity competition in any sport. In running, it's almost unheard of.

"It just depends on what your physical gifts are. He's really gifted and he works hard, too," senior teammate Tim Smith said. "I think that's pretty amazing for him to be beating everybody as a freshman."

Bayne's breakout came at the right time of year. He started the season running over 19 minutes. After a few races, he dropped to the mid-18s. The improvements just kept coming.

Today, he'll lead the CCHS team to the Northwest regional meet, where they're shooting for a top 10 finish.

Bayne is running his best when it matters most, but it has been a learning process. Luckily for him, he's surrounded by a strong group of upperclassmen that were happy to show him the path to success.

The Culpeper team uses a tight pack-running strategy. On a given day, any of one of five runners could be the top finisher.
That tight-knit running style has only quickened Bayne's development.

"Early on, (his teammates) showed him how to run races, basically through example," Williams said. "Charlie is a quick study. He's able to pick up on some things."

Bayne is hoping for another breakthrough performance today at Panorama Farms. He'd love to slash some more time from his personal best. But at the end of the day, it's all about the group.

"It feels really good to finish a race and know you've done well as a team," Bayne said.

Hansen keeps rolling
The boys team won't be the only Culpeper representative at the regional meet today.

Dira Hansen led the Blue Devilettes to a sixth-place finish at the Cedar Run District meet last week. She finished eighth with a time of 20:35, good enough to advance.

Hansen's race starts at 1 p.m. today at Panorama Farms in Charlottesville. The boys run at 1:45.

Jason Simcoe can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 166 or