Get To Know The Valor Girls
Jones is one of two seniors on the squad, with the other being Bri Teegarden.
Jones brings a witty humor that keeps everything in perspective. She speaks with a white-toothed smile and has a twinkle in her eyes, even when there's no light.
She's likely to be the only amputee on the starting line in Portland, remnants of an ATV accident that left her as a right arm amputee.
"(She's) potentially the greatest leader I've ever been around," Coplen shared. A soccer player - turned triathlete - turned runner, she sports a 18:35 personal best off just one year of high school cross country running.
Every team has a mom-like figure, and Teegarden owns this role. The senior has battled through the season with a slight achilles injury, but like most mothers, she has put the team in front of herself.
The senior has competed for Valor the past two years, and helped usher in the culture established by Coplen.
She owns a 19:10 PR, and a 19:47 season best.
At the heart of the squad is their junior class, which is comprised of Taylor Whitfield, Isabella Prosceno, and Reese Dragovich.
Whitfield is the unofficial captain, having starred on the squad since her freshman year. Like Teegarden, she plays a mother role over the squad, and is a big part of the transformation.
"She's played a role in being the glue of this team since she was a freshman," Coplen said of Whitfield.
Whitfield owns an infectious smile that highlights her love of team and the sport. She's finished in the top 11 at State all three years of high school, and owns a PR of 17:33.
Prosceno is one of two transfers (the other being Szuch) this year that had to sit out the entirety of the regular season, though she'd muse that it was worth it.
"The Overcomer" as Coplen puts it, Prosceno has a very clear appreciation for the journey she's endured to be here.
"I had to keep my eyes on NXR all season," Prosceno confessed. "But being part of this team really helped."
The soft-spoken junior speaks in deliberate tones as someone who knows where she want so go, and how to get there.
She's run an 18:30 season best, and owns a PR of 17:57.
Dragovich owns a last name I'm tempted to alter into the nickname "Drago" for a variety of reasons. One being that it's simpler to say, but more importantly for her strength and passion - the junior has the best range of anyone on the team. She's run everything from the 200 on up to the 5k, and finished fourth in the 400 at last year's state meet - she's used to that sprinter-like battle of punching the air like a prizefighter until the finish line is more than crossed.
The articulate junior could sit out the fall and just wait for track, but her passion for the running community has driven her to dive into being a year-round runner, and vital to Valor's success on the course.
"We're very grateful to be here," she explained of qualifying for NXN. "We're not taking anything for granted."
She's run a PR of 19:32 this season.
And then there's the extended future of the squad, which can easily be found among sophomore Szuch, and freshman Wilson.
Szuch, like Prosceno, is one of the two transfers this year who had to patiently wait on the sidelines in JV races.
Ever the competitor, that didn't deter her from storming over every course she competed on this fall, and leading Valor at NXR with a seventh-place 17:32 clocking.
She's calm, collected, and above all quiet - she leads by example, and that example is through a consistent grind.
And giving Valor an unrivaled 1-2-3 punch is the lone freshman on their varsity squad, Wilson.
Wilson was on everyone's radar as an eighth grader when she won the 13-14 USATF National Junior Olympics XC Championship.
While her talents set her apart, her passion for the sport and her team connect her to everyone. She led Valor at State finishing third, and owns a 17:47.
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