Blacksburg is definitely the Western Branch of SW VA stealing all the spotlight but occasionally an athlete comes along that completely shifts the pendulum and focus of all. That athlete could be Parker Albright who as a freshman in 2016 took home the runner-up spot at XC States.
Check out Parker's Athlete Profile
Though times can differ a lot on the Great Meadow course due to differing conditions, one thing is certain and that is Parker's toughness and strength. She battled it out against a strong Blacksburg contingent last year and this year it could be the other way around where the Bruins are chasing her.
Enough about last year though, as you can see in the headline we expect some big things from Parker this year. Her 18:29 performance was not only good enough for second but it was also just a second off of Libby Davidson's winning performance her freshman year.
Libby went on to run 17:12 the following year at states to not only bring home her second state title but the state meet record as well. Now Parker is a world-class triathlete as well so we are not positive how much of her focus will be running but if she has anything close to the same advancement we are in for a show.
In the short term her love of triathlons may hinder her meteoric rise in the XC scene but in the long term that whole body toughness will definitely prove to be a strength. Be ready for some big performances and maybe in the next couple years we will see another girl from SW VA going under 17:00.
