Bishop’s cross country: Hickey putting up some fast times

Ayanna Hickey is recording some fast times for Bishop’s, and she’s doing it with the companionship and friendship of other girl runners in her area.

Bishop’s doesn’t feature a huge running program, she says, but “now I’ve found a lot of girls in La Jolla to run with.” She is close to Chiara Dailey, who runs for La Jolla High, “We run together, we go to meets (together), I love her.” Their moms are best friends. They met in the fifth grade at La Jolla Elementary School.

Before the companionship, running “was kind of a chore” as she moved over from soccer to try it, on her parents’ suggestion. “I was fast running all over the place” in that sport, leading to her parents’ suggestion to try running.

In fact, with 1600 meters being Hickey’s favored distance, running the 3200 — as she notes, “eight laps around the track”— is “boring.” She makes it sound l-o-n-g.

With the 1600, she’s “sprinting.” There’s a strategy and a purpose for each part of the race: “On the first lap, it’s adrenaline. On the second, you’re settling in.” Finally, by the fourth time around, “I switch. The adrenaline kicks in again. I’m going faster.”

For cross country, in season now, Hickey ran well in the Girls Sweepstakes race at the big Woodbridge Classic in Irvine on Sept. 21 with a time of 16:46.5 over the three-mile course, which shaved 15 seconds off her previous personal record and set a new three-mile Bishop’s school record. The time settled for 37th place in the big field for top teams and individuals in the country.

Last year, as a sophomore, she finished third at the state CIF Division V cross-country meet in Fresno.

Hickey moved over to Bishop’s from Muirlands Middle School during the pandemic, as classes at the private school were meeting in person on a rotating basis, in addition to Zoom online.

At present, Hickey is enjoying her history class, which is discussion-based, as opposed to lecture, with only 14 students. “We’re covering social movements,” the junior reports. “We have covered the Civil Rights Movement and women’s rights. That’s all we’ve been able to do so far” early in the school year.

“I get more involved” because of the discussion basis of the class, she says. Students sit around big oval tables in an intimate setting, with an optimum number of students in the course.

Sarah Solberg, head coach of Bishop’s cross country, says, “(Ayanna) is a phenomenal runner and has continued to set personal records, holding school records in the mile, two-mile, and the three-mile.

“In addition to her strength and endurance, she is strategic when racing, knowing when to make moves. She has a lot of grit and tenacity.”

Solberg notes, “We didn’t know what to expect from Ayanna when she first joined the team. When she ran her first race (at the Bronco Invitational in Rancho Bernardo), she won by over 50 seconds. I think she may have surprised herself, too.”