They’ve taken different paths, but juniors Ava Miller and Brandon Hopps have both arrived at the top of their cross-country teams this season.
Hopps has followed in his running lineage; his dad was a former WHS cross-country coach, and he slowly worked his way up from not placing as a freshman, to finishing as one of the top three Warrior runners as a sophomore, to No. 1 runner for Wayland High School this fall. Miller, on the other hand, ran in middle school but decided not to run as a freshman.
The success during the season, which included winning most of their dual meets, continued on Oct. 30 at the Dual County League Championships at Franklin Park in Boston. Both earned DCL All-Star honors by placing in top 20 of DCL meet (Hopps came in 11th and Miller finished 19th).
“Both were very impressive,” Coach Mark Mayall said. “Brandon kept his cool in a very competitive race. Ava wasn’t feeling well, something I wasn’t aware of until afterwards, which made her effort even more impressive. Both of them gave everything they had.”
Their first season in the program even appeared different. Hopps looked the part of a strong runner who knew how to run tactically. Miller was also athletic, but Mayall wasn’t sure what he had in the junior varsity contributor.
“Right away it was obvious he was a very good athlete,” Mayall explained. “He has a swimming background and that is not bad for a runner to have done all of those laps.”
Mayall also noted that Hopps has been a smart runner from the outset. He said he conserves his energy and doesn’t burn out at the end of the race.
Miller, on the other hand, opted to join the crew team as a freshman. Her strength, according to her coach, is that she doesn’t get bothered on the course. She goes about her race plan and rarely deviates from it.
“Honestly, there was not a lot to indicate in the past that she was going to do what she has done this year,” Mayall said. “She’s a poster child for the benefits of preparation. She is also very unflappable. She takes things as they come. No matter what anyone else is doing on the course, she does what is best for her.”
As far as the ascension and success of this season, there is one common factor that has worked to their benefit — they both put in the work this summer.
“The X factor for [Ava] going from last year to this year is she put in the time over the summer, and it is paying off in a big way,” he said. “Her improvement has been dramatic.”
With coach-organized workouts or get-togethers forbidden during the summer, all Mayall could do was give them a suggested outline. The idea is to work out 4-5 days a week at the start and progress to six days, and not necessarily all running outside, incorproating work on elliptical machines or other exercise that resembles running the best. He expected that, if they followed that plan, they would start the season strong and peak at the end of the season. Mayall explains that he has been giving the plan to his runners since 2019 and Hopps has followed it and come the closest to finishing better than anyone before him.
“Brandon has come the closest to attaining the pattern I designed,” Mayall said. “All I can do is give advice at the beginning of the summer in June and tell the kids to have fun. He’s a very disciplined and focused person in general. Growing up in a house with a cross-country coach can’t hurt.”
