Battlefield runners finalize college plans

By Robert Daski

Published: May 13, 2008

Elizabeth Walls has always enjoyed running. And she will continue doing so in college.

The Battlefield High School senior plans to run cross country and participate in track and field at the Uni-versity of Virginia next year.

“I really don’t think I could stop running after high school,” Walls said. “I love doing it. I think it’s really fun and really rewarding.”

Walls’ teammates also plan on running track in college. Senior Eric Hoepker will do so at Virginia Tech and senior Kim Blaylock will take her sprinting talent to the University of Indiana in Bloomington. Senior Rachel Satterwhite is going to Division III Virginia Wesleyan and will run cross country and do track and field.

So what does Battlefield track coach Paul Mobley attribute having kids moving on to the next level to?

“It goes more to the kids’ hard work than anything else,” Mobley said. “They’ve done extra work on week-ends. They’ve worked hard to get to this level. God-given talent only takes you so far. Hard work takes you to the next level.”

Walls gave Virginia a verbal commitment. She will not be on scholarship. Instead, she will be a walk-on.

Walls was deciding between Virginia and North Carolina-Chapel Hill, but chose Virginia due to an attrac-tive arts and science school and its close proximity to home.

“I visited both schools and I met both coaches,” she said. “I really liked the area U.Va. was in. It’s a really good school.”

Walls finished second to Osbourn Park’s Ariel Karabinus in the 2007 Cedar Run District cross country meet. Walls placed fourth at the Northwest Region meet and 10th in the Group AAA race at the state meet. She is the 2007 regional 3,200-meter run outdoor track champion.

With high school just about over, Walls understands the transition she will be making.

“It’s a lot bigger than high school running,” Walls said. “The expectations are a little bit higher. There are higher mileage weeks.

“We’re going to have to get to know new team members, meet new coaches. We have to get used to a totally new environment.”

Blaylock is the 2008 Cedar Run District indoor 55- and 300-meter dash champion. She also won the 55 at the 2008 Northwest Region meet and was fourth in the event at the ’08 Group AAA state meet.

A two-time all-area indoor first team athlete and a 2007 all-area outdoor first team selection, she will spend her summer vacation preparing to compete at the next level.

“I know I have to stay focused this summer,” Blaylock said. “I’ll usually take a break, but they’ll be giving us a schedule for the summer and I should be able to stay on that. I have a lot of conditioning and it’s going to be a little bit different, but I’m going to have to stay focused.”

Blaylock may run on Indiana’s 400 and 800 relay teams. She is going to Indiana on a 65 percent scholarship.

“They’ll be paying for my transportation home and paying for my books all four years,” Blaylock said. “It’s still a good deal for out of state.”

She will join Battlefield boys’ long jump and triple jump competitor Rex Parker, who officially signed his letter of intent to compete for Indiana on April 1.

“It’ll be fun,” Blaylock said. “I’ve talked to him a lot. He’s in my grade. I think it’ll be the same. It’s going to be fun if we go home on weekends.”

Hoepker will be a walk-on at Tech and will go there knowing other students.

“My sister goes to Tech,” Hoepker said. “I was always a Tech fan before. I know a lot of the guys that are go-ing there. I have good relationships with them already.”

Before heading to Blacksburg, Hoepker will attempt to have another solid postseason. The 2007 outdoor and 2008 indoor all-area first team member is the defending Northwest Region 800-meter champion and has quali-fied for Nike Outdoor Nationals by winning the 800 at the Southern Track Classic on Friday.

“I have a really good shot at winning a state title in the 800,” Hoepker said. “I’d like to get a state title and be district champions again with the team. I’d like to win regionals.”