Photo by Don Rich
We are spending the next month or so counting down the top 20 moments of the 2015-2016 year in Pennsylvania track and field and cross country. We entered the top ten yesterday with the tremendous state meet by the State College Area boys. Today, we go back to cross country with Madeleine Davison's come-from-behind victory at Foot Locker Northeast.
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Madeleine Davison didn't compete in the PIAA for cross country in 2015. Instead Davison, the homeschooled senior, trained independently this past fall. So at November 28's Foot Locker Northeast, it was her first opportunity of the season for one of the top returners from the year before to go against some of the region best high schoolers.
Davison went out conservatively on the hilly course of Van Cortlandt Park. In fact, she was 28th entering the woods. So it may have been easy to discount her at that point. But in the back hills of the course, Davison made up ground and emerged from the woods down the homestretch in qualifying position.
But she wasn't done there.
Davison kicked like crazy and took the win in 17:39. It was a comeback win for the ages. Just like that, she answered any questions you might have had about her fitness. She also made it three straight wins for PA girls at FLNE after Tessa Barrett in 2013 and Brianna Schwartz in 2014. Read a more in depth look at her race HERE.
At Foot Locker Nationals, Davison wound up 28th overall. On the track, she continued to dazzle. It culminated with a 16:34 5,000 meters on the track in May. She now heads to Syracuse University in the fall.
Watch Davison's Foot Locker Northeast interview below:
