Deer Lakes runner McCoy gears preparation toward contending at WPIAL cross country championships

By: Michael Love
Monday, August 30, 2021 | 8:58 PM

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Carson McCoy is a state champion in track and field, as he won the PIAA Class AA title in the 1,600-meter run in May at Shippensburg after placing second at WPIALs at week earlier.

Now, the Deer Lakes senior hopes to add more gold to his resume as one of the top returning Class AA boys cross country runners in the WPIAL.

“I just want to stay within myself throughout the season, no matter who is coming up or what is anyone else’s training,” said McCoy, one of just three returning runners from last year’s Class AA top 12 at WPIALs. The other nine graduated.

“I am going to stick to what I know to do and not try to push too hard early in the season Ultimately, it doesn’t matter until the WPIAL race, so if I take some hits early in the season, I am just going to keep training through it and save my taper for WPIALs. I want to maintain a level of consistency.”

McCoy, in only his second high school cross country season, placed 12th at WPIALs in a time of 16 minutes, 51 seconds.

He missed out on a trip to states by 7 seconds. Only the WPIAL team champion, Greensburg Salem, and the top seven individuals from other teams advanced to states under the PIAA’s temporary covid logistics limitations.

Last year, the WPIAL meet was moved from Cal (Pa.) to White Oak Park. Each of the three boys and three girls meets were split into two sessions on the same day. McCoy and Deer Lakes wound up in the slower of the two heats.

McCoy was separated from running against almost all of the other top competitors, including WPIAL champion and then-senior Mike Formica from Knoch.

McCoy won his heat by about 30 seconds.

“I definitely have some things to take back for myself from last season,” McCoy said. “It was pretty unfortunate how we (Deer Lakes) got put in the slow heat at WPIALs. I ran solo, while a lot of the other top guys were running together. I have some motivation coming from that.”

Shortly after capturing the state 1,600 title in Shippensburg — he won with a time of 4:16.48, 15 one-hundredths of a second ahead of the pack — the fall preparation began with a regimen that hovered around 50 miles a week throughout the summer.

“With all the running I did over the summer, I am definitely in a lot better shape than even at the end of the track season,” McCoy said.

All of his success he has achieved has attracted Division I attention. He said he has narrowed the field to about four or five schools, with planned officials visits this fall to Michigan State, Eastern Michigan, Penn State and Miami (Ohio). He also plans to visit Pitt.

“It’s been super stressful this summer and into the fall, but it also is fun at the same time,” McCoy said. “I will be very busy with that.”

While McCoy has one eye on individual accomplishments, he also is excited about what the Deer Lakes boys team as a whole can accomplish.

Despite losing seniors Jake Elder and Max Hilliard to graduation, five of the seven Lancers who ran at WPIALs last year are back. Deer Lakes placed 10th in Class AA.

“There also are a couple of new kids who didn’t compete last year in cross country who definitely will make a name for themselves this season,” McCoy said.

McCoy and his Deer Lakes teammates will kick off the season Saturday at the 49th Marty Uher Invitational at Cal (Pa.). He expects there to be a lot of great competition, including some from familiar opponents Burrell, Freeport and Knoch.

Last year’s event was canceled because of covid.

“That is where the WPIAL course is moved back to for this year, so it will be a good first taste of what WPIALs will be like, and it also will be good get out there in a good racing environment again. I haven’t done much racing this summer, so it will be nice to get back into it.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Deer Lakes