Oro Valley Canyon del Oro senior standout Bridgette Doucet summed up her return to distance running this fall in five very personal words, "By the grace of God."  Sitting out last fall due to her battle with anorexia, Doucet has set the standard this year after finishing with a runner-up performance in 2012.

She has collected win after win this fall with many of them out-pacing the field by more than a minute as she did at the Division II/Section II meet with a time of 17 minutes 12.5 seconds.

"The runners are amazing," Doucet explained after her first victory this fall, "They are all the best people. I feel like this is all what it's about. I'm enjoying my team and the grateful to be out here running again. My teammates, my coaches and family have all been supportive. And I am also doing this for God because he is the reason I am able to be out here."

Getting a post-race interview from Doucet proves to very difficult - for a good reason. True to her word and personality, Doucet does not hang around the finish line and take in her own victory. Far from it.

Doucet sprints back to the race to cheer on her opponents.

Defending state champion Tempe Corona del Sol swept the top three spots last year in the boy's Division I race but the team graduated five of their top seven runners including state champion Nate Rodriguez and runner-up Ryan Norman but they return third place finisher Marcus Wheeler.

Along with Gilbert Mesquite senior Tyler Day, Wheeler has to be the favorite to take home the trophy this fall. Day and Wheeler have the top two times in the state this fall and have taken turns outpacing each other in elite races.

The two will have several runners from Phoenix Desert Vista on their heels including junior Xavier Esparza.

The three runners will make for an exciting race.

 

The AIA State Cross Country Program can be found HERE.