Ada Ferrell’s second trip to the Class 3 state cross country meet on Nov. 7 in Columbia was a little different than her first.
With no rain this time, sunny weather and a handful of pre-race Skittles, the Wright City junior finished 70th with a season-best time of 21:52. Last year, she finished 72nd with a 22:01 under cold and muddy conditions.
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Ada Ferrell’s second trip to the Class 3 state cross country meet on Nov. 7 in Columbia was a little different than her first.
With no rain this time, sunny weather and a handful of pre-race Skittles, the Wright City junior finished 70th with a season-best time of 21:52. Last year, she finished 72nd with a 22:01 under cold and muddy conditions.
“My knee was pretty sore from all the traveling but I was able to push through it the best I could,” she said. “The weather was great and it’s just such a cool experience when everyone’s cheering on the sidelines and seeing your name on the big screen.”
Ferrell was sidelined for the most of her junior season due to an injury. Wright City coach David Schnell applauded Ferrell’s grittiness throughout the season.
“You really can’t speak enough about her mental toughness,” he said. “To go out there, get your training in and compete against the best in the state and set a season best – that’s a special kid and she shows that time and again. She’s just so impressive to us and I cannot say enough good things about her.”
Ferrell credited three factors for her strong finish at state – a faster start than usual, strategic positioning and pure adrenaline.
“When you’re around more people, it’s easier to cut down those times because you can pick a group and pass more people which really motivates you,” she said. “Overall, I didn’t get the place I wanted but I’m really happy with my time.”
And of course, the Skittles helped, too.
“I did get her some Skittles,” Schnell laughed. “I think she appreciated that.”
“I think that was really the thing that got me under 22,” Ferrell jokingly added.
With two state berths under her belt, Ferrell is feeling ambitious for her senior season.
“I’m really hoping to get down in the 20s which would get me in the top 50, but next year, I say we go big and I go for that all-state top 30,” she said.
Schnell wants to help her reach that point. He also hopes she will stay healthy.
“We’re going to get her in some bigger, faster races early on. This year, she only had three races and they’re all pretty small and then it was suddenly districts and state, so it was a very quick change of competition,” Schnell said. “We want to get her exposed to that competition earlier and I think the times will drop and that place at state is going to drop.”
