The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Tough to outwork Falcons’ Davis
Firelands runner also plays soccer, prepares with military-style training
At the Division II district meet last season at Lorain County Community College, Firelands junior Alessandra Davis barely made it through to the regional.
And it had nothing to do with how she ran.
After seeing a competitor fall down, Davis stopped to help the girl up, jeopardizing her opportunity at a regional berth. The top 20 advanced, and Davis was 20th.
But that was only a glimpse of the type of personality she has. A fun-loving, glass half-full type of girl, Davis always wants to see her peers do well.
“That’s the kind of person that she is,” Firelands coach Bob Donelson said. “She’s very giving and helps other girls. It’s nice to see that on your team.”
Davis competed at the Keystone Icebreaker on Aug. 20 and finished fifth (22:11.9). Hoping to build off of a stellar sophomore year, Davis also competes on the Falcons’ soccer team, and she rarely takes a day off.
In the five days prior to the Icebreaker meet, Davis did a military-type training as part of the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps in Norfolk, Virginia. Some of her activities included working with avionics and airplane pilots, and in the sea battling currents.
“That’s the kind of person that she is. She’s very giving and helps other girls. It’s nice to see that on your team.”
— Firelands coach Bob Donelson on Alessandra Davis helping a fallen runner during a meet last season
Her time at the Icebreaker meet was nowhere near what it could be. But it was, after all, the first meet of the year.
“I wanted to pick a set pace and not sprint because I was exhausted,” she
added.
She trained in the Sea Cadet in Pennsylvania for two weeks at the beginning of the summer. Her father, Robert Davis, was a chief in the Navy for 22 years.
Her grandfather, Pierson Lorandeau, ran at Kent State and is a 1986 Hall of Fame inductee.
Davis was ready to
“come home to some cooler weather” but was greeted with 85-degree temperatures at the meet.
“I would have liked to run a little harder at the end, but for the first 2 1/2 miles, I thought I did OK,” she said.
Donelson is in his second season at the helm at Firelands, and he expects Davis to slowly improve
her times throughout the year. But just as importantly, Donelson tells parents he wants his athletes involved in extracurricular activities like what Davis is doing. Some of his athletes are with the FFA, an American youth organization based on middle and high school classes that promote and support agricultural education.
Davis is expected to be the Firelands’ No. 1 runner all season, and a return trip to the regionals is on her mind.
But don’t be surprised if she does it again in an unconventional way.
“I want to break 20 (minutes) because I’ve run a 19:14 5K before but I’ve never done it in cross country,” she said.