McGooden Pushes Through Doubt

Adrienne McGooden of Siloam Springs is the 2012 NWA Media small school runner of the year.
Adrienne McGooden of Siloam Springs is the 2012 NWA Media small school runner of the year.

— Siloam Springs sophomore Adrienne McGooden was in the final leg of the Class 6A girls state cross country meet at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, running neck and neck with Mountain Home’s Kelsie Harris.

As they passed Harris’ Mountain Home teammates along the way, McGooden heard them telling Harris, “She’s going to die out.”

“I was kind of thinking I might get third and let her pass me, because I was getting really tired,” McGooden said.

Runner Of The Year

Adrienne McGooden of Siloam Springs

CLASS: Sophomore

NOTABLE: Finished second in the Class 6A girls cross country meet at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs. ... Helped Siloam Springs to a second place team finish at 6A meet. ... Was the All-NWA Media Runner of the Year in 2011 after her third place finish helped Siloam Springs win the Class 5A state title.

And then McGooden came upon Siloam Springs cross country coach Sharon Jones.

Jones encouraged McGooden to finish strong. “We need this point!”

One extra push at the finish helped McGooden to a personal record time of 20 minutes, 6.9 seconds, which earned her second place in the state at the meet.

“Sometimes you feel you’re holding back because you’re so tired,” McGooden said. “You just feel like you need to speed up and you do. That’s how it was for me.”

McGooden’s second place finish helped the Lady Panthers place second overall behind Lake Hamilton.

For her efforts, McGooden is this season’s All-NWA Media Girls Runner of the Year. It’s the second straight year McGooden has won the award, having won it last year after helping the Lady Panthers to the 2011 Class 5A state title.

Ever since the 2011 state championship, McGooden has led the Lady Panthers in every race and has improved her time by nearly three minutes, according to Jones.

“She did it by working hard and consistently getting better,” Jones said. “I like her focus and her commitment. At the All-Star meet her dad told me that she was most looking forward to drinking a soda after the race. She had been abstaining from all soft drinks all season. She is most deserving of this honor, and I’m so proud of her. I know her family is as well.”

McGooden said her goal for next season isn’t necessarily to finish No. 1 in Class 6A but instead to lower her score into the 19-minute range.

“I got pretty close this year,” she said. “I just want to try to do my best.”

McGooden’s father, Shay McGooden, said every race his daughter keeps improving.

“She hasn’t hit that plateau yet,” he said. “It’s always exciting to see how far she can go. Every race she gets a little more confident.”

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