ROCKINGHAM - Allyson Leggett, a sophomore on the Richmond Senior High School cross country team, has been named the fourth Official Richmond County Female Athlete of the Week for the 2018 fall sports season.
In her first season on the Lady Raider cross country team, Leggett has proven to be one of first-year head coach Shellie Wimpey’s most dedicated and improved runners. She’s been an integral part of Richmond’s success this year, and helped the Lady Raiders qualify for regionals this fall. This is Leggett’s first career selection.
Athletic Profile
Age: 15
Birthday: April 4, 2003
Year: Sophomore
Fall Sport: Cross Country
Seed: No. 3 Runner
Years on Varsity: 1 Year
Height & Weight: 5-3, 125 pounds
Experience: 1 Year
“RUNNING THROUGH THE FACTS” WITH ALLYSON LEGGETT
RSHS Academics: In her first full year at Richmond Senior High School, Leggett is hitting the books just as hard as she’s running on the course. As only a sophomore, she’s already taking several tough courses, including AP Government, English II Honors, Health Science I Honors and weight training. She’s a consistent flyer on the distinguished A honor roll, boasts a 4.25 overall GPA, and is enrolled in the Health Science cluster.
“AP Gov is my favorite class right now,” Leggett noted. “It has all of my friends in it, which makes it a lot of fun. I also really like weight training with Coach Wimpey because I enjoy lifting and getting better at running.”
Around campus, Leggett is involved with the National Beta Club, a high school organization she’s been involved with since being inducted as a freshman. Recently, she attended a Beta convention at Great Wolf Lodge, and explained that she and her fellow Betas are beginning a new project that will stuff backpacks full of daily essentials to help those impacted by Hurricane Florence.
RSHS Sports: Part of the reason why Leggett began running cross country this season was to better condition herself for soccer in the spring. She was a member of the Richmond junior varsity team as a freshman, playing right wing for head coach Chris Larsen. Prior to playing for the Lady Raiders, Leggett played soccer at Hamlet Middle School for Ashleigh Buie. She anticipates going back out for the team this spring.
“I really wanted to get in shape for soccer, so that’s why I started running cross country,” Leggett explained. “But is has become something I really enjoy doing because it helps me relieve stress.
“And I’ve gotten better throughout the season,” she added. “At the Beta Club trip, I ran on the treadmill at the hotel and I was able to take two minutes off my time for the next race. Controlling my speeds on the treadmill helped me, and it’s good to be uncomfortable when I run -- it makes me try harder.”
High School Aspirations: With still over two and a half years until she graduates from Richmond as part of the class of 2021, Leggett has set some lofty personal goals she’d like to achieve. For starters, she wants to “maintain A honor roll” and “join as many new clubs as possible.”
As of now, Leggett is looking at pursuing a career in the medical field, hence the Health Science cluster. She said that over the next couple of school years, she’d like to “get a better feel for what I want to do” in that field, and even if she changes her mind, she’ll “still have a lot of really good general knowledge” that could lead her to other career fields.
Allyson Leggett (front right) participating in a cross country meet at Jack Britt earlier this season.
Athlete of the Week Stats: The Lady Raider cross country team has found success this fall in part from all of its runners, but it’s been Leggett who has raced her way into the spotlight. In one of her early season races at Jack Britt High School, Leggett posted a time of 28:47 in the 3.1 mile race, which was sixth on the team and 18th overall.
But through her work in practice, Leggett has consistently shaved considerable chunks of time off her finishes. In the first of two meets at Pinecrest High School earlier this month, Leggett improved to finish third on the team, and again 18th overall, with a mark of 27:53, taking almost an entire minute off her race time. A week later, back at Pinecrest, Leggett posted her best time to date, eliminating 1:55 off her time, completing the race in 25:58.
Wimpey noted that “as with any sport, the hard work you put in on your own is what will set you apart from others.” It’s these attributes that have helped Leggett improve her times so drastically this season.
RAPID FIRE – FAST RESPONSES
1) What do you enjoy most about being a student at Richmond?
“I definitely like hanging out with friends and participating in sports,” she said. “Soccer is my favorite, and I’m excited to play for Coach Larsen again this spring.”
2) Describe what it’s like running for Coach Wimpey, and what it’s like being a part of the Lady Raider cross country team.
“It’s been really good so far,” Leggett explained. “Coach Wimpey pushes me and makes me better, and she’s always coming up with new and different things to try in practice. She wants to make us stronger for the next meet. And I’ve gotten a lot closer with a lot of my teammates, which has been nice.”
3) Who is someone who has impacted your life positively such as a mentor, teacher or coach?
“My parents, Jennifer Treece and Bryan Leggett,” Leggett said. “They support me in whatever I do and they’re always there to support me. Coach Wimpey is also a role model because of the same reasons.”
4) If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
“I’d probably go to Paris because it’s so different,” Leggett shared. “I’ve been to Florida, Mexico and different islands on cruises. But I think Paris would be a lot of fun.”
5) Name an interesting fact about yourself that many people may not know about you.
“I like to write,” Leggett expressed. “And not just English papers -- that sounds boring, but I’ve always enjoyed it. I’m trying to write a short novel, and I’ve asked Mrs. (Hayley) Gordon, my eighth grade ELA teacher at Hamlet, to help me. I think that’d be cool to do.”
Coach’s Corner: Wimpey is also in her first year with the cross country program after spending the last six years as the Richmond head volleyball coach. In the short time she and Leggett have been associated with one another, Wimpey explained how she’s noticed how dedicated her sophomore runner is on and off the course.
“I chose Allyson as Athlete of the Week because this is her first year, and she has been so dedicated,” Wimpey said. “She’s also improved so much in a short amount of time. When she was at Beta convention, she prepared for the meet at Pinecrest by running at the hotel. Because she did that, she was able to take almost two minutes off her time. I’m hoping her dedication rubs off on the other girls and will make them more dedicated.
“She’s a great student and is in my fourth block weight training class,” Wimpey added. “Not only does she run at home on her own, but she’ll text me her times and ask how to get better, and she’s really made that her priority. She’s a go-getter and does everything that you ask her to do.”
