C.M. Wright’s Cummins now runs with more of a purpose
A few people suggested to Haley Cummins when starting high school two years ago that she should run on the C. Milton Wright cross country team. After thinking about it for a while, the idea made sense to the then-freshman.
Cummins just wanted to run and stay in shape for lacrosse, the sport she played since elementary school and truly loved. Her older brother, Tanner, ran cross country, and others close to Cummins also felt it would be a good move. After all, Cummins already ran well in some middle school races and figured she could be competitive with the Mustangs.
She eventually decided to try cross country. It was a move that paid off
handsomely as Cummins won Class 3A state championships in her first two years and has yet to lose a race in Maryland.
Cummins, starting her junior year this fall, will be gunning for a third straight state crown. She also is heading for a tough decision — whether to focus on running or lacrosse in college.
That call is likely coming at some point during this school year, but for now, Cummins still shakes her head a bit at the quick success she’s found while running.
“I knew I could be good, but I didn’t know I would win state championships,” she said. “I’m really excited to see what there is for me in cross country. If I wind up qualifying for the nationals, then I might do track [instead] of lacrosse this spring.”
Cummins has won the Upper Chesapeake Bay Athletic Conference, region and state titles in each of her first two years — an impressive trio of victories. The state meet last year proved especially challenging as it was run on a cold day on the difficult course at Hereford.
Longtime C.M. Wright coach Donnie Mickey said he knew nothing about Cummins at first as a freshman, but she quickly made her mark.
Cummins won the first race she ran in, the Mustang Invitational, beating teammate Jessica Rogers, already one of the area’s top runners. That caught Mickey’s attention a bit.
“In the beginning of practice, there was nothing jumping out that showed us the potential she’s got,” Mickey said. “The first race … when she beat Jessica, that in and of itself was impressive.”
The Mustangs then went to the William C. Milton Wright's Haley Cummins nears the finish line during her win in the Class 3A race at the state cross country championships at Hereford in November 2017. & Mary Invitational in Virginia. Mickey said about 30 schools competed there, and Cummins finished fourth in a tough field. That really caught the coach’s attention.
“That’s when I was like, ‘This kid could be good,’ ” Mickey said. Cummins kept winning throughout the season, and took the triple crown of the UCBAC, the Class 3A North Region and the Class 3A state title.
She turned in an impressive performance in the state race, winning in 18 minutes, 41.6 seconds, easily topping Molly Barrick of Northern-Calvert by 11.1 seconds.
Cummins came back last year and accomplished more of the same. She took third at the William & Mary meet and won everything else locally once more — again sweeping the UCBAC, region and state meets.
The junior’s race strategy is bold. Cummins usually shoots to the front early, which forces others to come after her, which makes life tough for her opponents.
“She’s a natural; she just has all the tools, the natural attributes,” Fallston girls coach Bill Blewett said. “You might see someone like that every 20 years.”
Patterson Mill boys and girls coach Al Dethlefsen said he thinks the fact that Cummins participates in two sports helps her performance.
“I think she’s a great example of how athletes should look at … expanding their horizons and participating in other sports,” he said. “One helps the other, and it keeps her from getting burned out. With her talent and drive, the sky’s the limit.”
Cummins said she trained regularly for cross country in the summer and also worked on her lacrosse skills.
Now that the fall semester is at hand, cross country is her focus. The Mustangs finished second in the state last year, and Cummins said she’d love to help them bring home a first-place trophy.
“I really want our girls to win the states this year,” she said. “We have good girls that have been working really hard.”
Cummins is glad that she listened to her brother and friends about trying to run cross country two years ago. She already is one of the top runners in Maryland and hopes to become a three-time state champion.
“My [cross country success] is hard to believe,” Cummins said. “I’m really surprised and at the same time really happy with myself and proud of myself. I love the sport in general.”