Carge, Roedig set the pace for Bluffton High cross country

Bluffton High cross country runners Giada Carge and Brennan Roedig both understand how cross country can be just as grueling mentally as it is physically.

“I like to listen to some house music until about an hour to 1.5 hours before my race, and after that, it is silence, just me and my thoughts,” Carge said. The junior also excels in the 800 and 3,200 in track. “During this time I warm up, stretch, roll out, do dynamics, and most importantly get my head in the game. This is the most physical and most mental thing I have ever done in my life, so getting my mindset to where it needs to be is very crucial.

“However, this does not just come from the hour before a race. It takes almost a week for me to be completely mentally prepared to give it my absolute all.”

Roedig, a sophomore, also knows the sport can be a mind

“Cross country is 100% a mental sport,” Roedig said. “I would say 70 to 30 percent mental. If you put in the work during practices, your mentality will break down before you physically do, which is a struggle many, including myself, struggle with.

“After you push past that mental block, though, you can drop several seconds off your PR (personal record).”

For both, running has been a longtime staple. They also have been integral runners in the team’s success the past few seasons. The girls’ team is the two-time defending Class 4A state champion.

“I began to run from a very young age,” Carge said. “While I hated it, my parents continued to force me to do it because they were big runners themselves.

“My mom has run many miles, and my dad to this day continues to wake up at 4:30 or earlier some days and go run.”

“I actually started running at a very young age with my mother at around 6 years old,” Roedig said. “She definitely was a big influence on me for running in general.”

In the recent Beaufort County Championships, eighth-grader Kaylee Degirmenci took first place overall in 18:21.12. Carge finished second in 18:21.83. In the boys division, Roedig took third in 17:15, a new personal best for him.

Besides Roedig, other Bobcats in the top 10 were junior Collin Singleton, fifth, in 17:16.60, and junior Aden McCartney, ninth, in 17:37.36. Both teams finished second overall.

Head coach Brittany Carter, who is in her first year at the helm after serving as an assistant for the previous eight seasons, has been impressed with her runners’ results.

Carge and Degirmenci lead a returning pack that includes junior Jillian Spencer and sophomores Emily Hunt and Ella Crapps, along with freshman Effie Hendry, who all figure to be major contributors toward a state three-peat. Carter anticipates Degirmenci running in the 17s before the regular season ends.

Aside from Roedig, Singleton and McCartney, eighth-graders Will Carter and Wes Saunders already have established their steady presence. Carter believes the boys’ team can be among the state’s top 10 at the end of the season.

Carge and Roedig are expected to set the pace.

“Giada is ranked the fourth-best runner (by SC MileSplit) in the state,” Carter said. “Her season started off a little rough, but she seemed to find her groove at county and can hopefully get back to her PR time of 18:15 by qualifiers.

“Brennan ran a PR at county and continues to show improvement with every practice and meet. Hopefully he can knock off those 15 seconds by lower state qualifier and run in the 16s.”

Even though she has a positive outlook for both teams, Carter sees the bigger picture.

“While we have our sights set on states in November, we are really excited about the long term,” Carter said. “We have an extremely young team, and we only lose two seniors this year. It is also about what the teams will be able to accomplish over the next two to three years.”

Jeff Moeller has covered high school, collegiate, and professional sports for the past 42 years. He also is an avid runner and a frequent half-marathon participant.