Fuqua School’s varsity cross country teams competed in their third meet of the season Wednesday afternoon with the Lady Falcons claiming first among the four girls squads participating and the Falcons claiming second among the boys squads.

Fuqua senior Katie Haney finished as the top individual female runner.

It was a home meet for Fuqua the school’s teams used to make clear what they are capable of, even if they have several young runners brand new to the sport mixed among their veterans.

“They’re really driven kids and super-enthusiastic,” Fuqua Co-Head Coach Grant Brown said of all the student-athletes who make up the program. “It’s a mix — everyone from sixth grade to 12th grade.”

As of this season, the program is led by Brown and Co-Head Coach Emmalee Klein, both seniors at Hampden-Sydney College. Klein ran for Fuqua when she was in high school, and Brown brings significant experience in the sport, as well.

“I used to run on the Hampden-Sydney cross country team,” Brown said. “That marked my sixth year of running. And after that, I was pretty banged up, but I still had a love for the sport and my coach knew that, and she found me in the gym one day, and she said, ‘Hey, I’ve got this great opportunity for you. Emmalee Klein will be coaching at Fuqua, some cross country kids, they’ve got a small team there,’ and she offered me the job, and it’s been great.”

Leaders for both the boys and girls teams at Fuqua have asserted themselves already. For the girls, it is Haney, who also finished as the top female runner in Fuqua’s home meet Sept. 12, which the girls team won as well.

“She’s extremely vocal,” Brown said, noting she is also a hard worker in the gym. “She’s always super-driven on the track. She’ll take the kids who are struggling a little bit more and do an extra lap with them, help them through their final lap. So, she’s a leader through-and-through.”

The boys team has several runners who are emerging as leaders, including senior Curtis Rogers, sophomore Philip Sadler and eighth-grader Jacob Dillon.

Brown said Rogers is an extremely determined guy.

“He’s got great turnover,” the coach said. “He never wants to take his foot off the gas. Honestly, you’ve got to slow him down during practice sometimes.”

Sadler has stick-to-it-tiveness, and Dillon has a good, long stride as he stands at 6 feet, 2 inches.

The coach acknowledged the young, unproven quality of some runners in the program, but he also noted how these qualities can be strengths.

“They’re definitely chomping at the bit,” Brown said. “They want to prove themselves to everybody, so yeah, I think that’s going to really drive the competitive spirit even later into the season.”

As he observes the boys team catching up with the girls, Brown said Blue Ridge Conference championships are within reach of both teams, including an individual title for Haney.