In the game with Drew Paisley

Virginia Beach

Ocean Lakes senior Drew Paisley won his first – and only – Beach District cross country individual title last month.

Many runners would rate that feat as the highlight of a career. But Paisley doesn’t even rate it as the highlight of that day.

“The team aspect of that day probably meant a lot more to me,” Paisley said last week. “That meant Ocean Lakes has won the Beach District championship all four years that I’ve been here.”

What Paisley left unsaid is that he contributed greatly to those team titles. Knowing he was an overwhelming favorite to win the individual title this year, he stayed with his teammates through the early part of the race to push them. Paisley’s time of 16 minutes, 21.22 seconds was still 20 seconds faster than second-place Jonathan Winters, also of Ocean Lakes.

Paisley’s selfless attitude extends to practice, Dolphins coach Mike Nestor said.

“He’s a leader by example,” Nestor said. “We’re packing up to leave, he’s the one who stays. He’s the last to leave, always the one who asks to do more. … So the kids can witness what it takes to get to the next level.”

Nestor, a coach for 16 years, says runners need four qualities to be successful: talent, durability, determination and courage.

Paisley, who followed his district title with an Eastern Region crown last week, has displayed aspects of the four qualities throughout his high school career, Nestor said.

But motivated to win his first Beach crown this year, he’s turned his efforts up a notch. Over the summer he increased his mileage, logging as many as 64 miles in a week. During the season he’s focused on increasing speed during workouts.

“He’s the most aerobically powerful he’s ever been,” Nestor said. “And it’s easy to run fast when you can breathe.”

Paisley, an excellent student, plans to run in college and has had contact with coaches at Virginia, Duke and William and Mary, among others.

In the meantime, he has set his sights on continuing his postseason success at the Group AAA state meet Saturday at Great Meadow course in The Plains.

“My competition at states is about the same as my competition at regionals,” Paisley said, “so I’ll put myself in a position for that too.”