ROCKINGHAM — Maylyn Wallace, a sophomore on the Richmond Senior High School cross country team, has been named the Week 8 Official Richmond County Female Athlete of the Week presented by Moss Brothers Tire and Service.
Each week, one male and one female student-athlete from Richmond Senior High School will be selected by his or her coach as ROSports’ Official Richmond County Athlete of the Week based on his or her performance in helping their respective team.
Wallace is in her first season as a cross country runner, and has been a pleasant surprise for first-year head coach Jessica Covington. The Lady Raiders have won three Sandhills Athletic Conference meets and Wallace’s role as the No. 2 runner behind senior Airel Brown has played a big part in the team’s success. This is her first career recognition.
Athletic Profile
Age: 15
Birthday: Jan. 9, 2004
Year: Sophomore
Fall Sport: Cross Country
Position: No. 2 Runner
Years on Varsity: 1 Year
Height & Weight: 5-11, 140 pounds
Experience: 1 Year
“SETTING PERSONAL RECORDS” WITH MAYLYN WALLACE
RSHS Academics: In her first full year at Richmond, Wallace is enrolled in the Advanced Placement and Health Science clusters. She has all As in her classes so far, and currently has a 4.3 GPA. This semester, she’s taking AP World History with Ms. Suzanne Hudson, Health Science I with Ms. Elizabeth McDougald, Math III Honors with Ms. Julie Howard and ends her day with Weight Training with Coach Covington.
A member of the National Beta Club, Wallace was at Great Wolf Lodge this week, and helped the Rapid Response Team qualify for Beta Nationals in June in Fort Worth, Texas. She, along with teammates Jenna McRae, Kirsten McDonald, Kaden Walker, Caleb Talton and Chris White built a LEGO tower as a part of their competition.
Wallace also plays softball and was one of three freshmen on the varsity team last season. She plans on going out again this spring, and is currently playing travel softball for Carolina Elite based in Greenville, S.C.
“Sophomore year is going pretty good,” Wallace explained. “I like going to Richmond. I’m glad I’ve decided to run cross country. It’s helped keep me in shape.”
Future Plans: Although she’s got over two and a half years until she graduates, Wallace hopes to spend her time at Richmond performing well academically and athletically, while also making new friends and memories.
“I want to finish high school with a 4.5 GPA or higher,” she explained. “I want to continue to run cross country and play softball, and maintain good grades.”
While she’s not sure what she wants to pursue as a career, Wallace said she’s interested in possibly becoming an anesthesiologist or a pediatric dentist, noting her grandma was a nurse and recalls how exciting she made a health field career sound. Wallace is looking into Furman University and Liberty University.
Athlete of the Week Stats: Wallace has consistently gotten better throughout her first season of running cross country for the Lady Raiders, and has taken 6:57 off her 3.2 mile time since the team’s first meet in early September. As the No. 2 runner on the team behind Brown, Wallace often finds herself finishing in the top 10 in nearly every race.
Last week at Jack Britt High School, Wallace recorded another personal record with a time of 23:19. Although she was 11th in the field, that mark was 59 seconds faster than her previous personal best. As the Lady Raiders prepare for the Sandhills Athletic Conference championship next week, Wallace is hoping to break into 22s and qualify for regionals.
Coach’s Corner: First-year head coach Jessica Covington is learning the sport right alongside Wallace, but she has seen such an improvement out of her No. 2 runner in such a short amount of time.
“Maylyn is an awesome athlete and student who I get the privilege to teach and coach,” Covington said. “She is dedicated to becoming the best athlete and willing to go the extra mile to gain speed and endurance. Maylyn has gone from her first meet time of 30:16 to a competitive time of 23:19.
“Even as a student in my fourth block class, she is always looking for a way to push herself and works hard to improve her time,” she added. “The other day she had a 6:40 time for our class-timed mile. She is the type of student and athlete who is always ready to challenge herself and grow. Maylyn is a leader and a pleasure to coach and teach.”
Raider Video Chats: Maylyn Wallace, Official Richmond County Female Athlete of the Week
New this season is our “Raider Video Chats” segment that allows student-athletes to connect with fans and readers through video interviews. In her video, Wallace talks about setting her new record, the secret to her success and answers questions in our “Rapid Raider Response” segment.
Click photo for video.
