Senior season is a make or break endeavor and Ailene Edwards is going for it all this season. The Blacksburg senior star has won three state XC titles in a row and made it to NXN those years too. On top of that team success she has been a part of she has also finished third at states individually the past two years.
Ailene Edwards' Athlete Profile
Ailene enters her senior season as the top ranked senior in the state (see grade rankings here) and as the second ranked returner for 4A. On top of that ranking she also has tons of experience and a pretty impressive resume at Great Meadow. In 2015 she finished 8th in 19:08, then in 2016 finished 3rd in 18:35, and finally went 18:52 last year for third again.
Though her journey started way earlier, her stardom started with just one race, the 2016 Southern Track Classic two mile. In that race she shocked the state and won in a blazing 10:48 for the full two mile distance.
After that race she went from being just another good Blacksburg runner to being an athlete with a target on her back. Both for the entire 4A classification but also for her team where she faces some of the toughest competition each year. This year though things are different.
This year Ailene enters the season in the best shape of her life and ready to rumble. She isn't worried about winning this race or that and just wants to run well. If she can keep that mindset thru the state meet she will most definitely be one of the fastest runners at the state meet this season.
Her success and goal is to run well but don't think she isn't going for the win because deep down you know that the state race is all about the win and going for that first state title.
